The lonewolf meets his match
by Li Kasumi
Summary: AU What if your life could end at any moment? Sayuri is a mysterious girl who deals with a curse that's haunted her family for years...but what if someone like Kouji M gets intrigued by her? Could he break her curse? Drama & ansgt too. FINAL and thank u !
1. Who is Sayuri Miyahara?

THE LONEWOLF MEETS HIS MATCH 

Disclaimer: Hi! I do not own Digimon nor its characters. I hope you review this story so I can know what you think of it and I apologize if my grammar is not so good. 

_Italics_--thoughts

Summary: AU fanfic. Loneliness is her one friend while living in shadows and darkness. Sayuri is a mysterious girl who deals with a curse that has haunted her family for years………….but what if someone like Kouji Minamoto gets intrigued by her? Would he be able to break her curse?

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_What is fate? Maybe it's a strange power that controls everything that happens in our lives._

_Many people believe that there's a story written for each one of us while others doubt that there's a force that determines our lives._

_Is fate another superstition? Maybe, maybe not. Perhaps we just don't give it enough thought._

_Anyways, there are people that do believe in fate and some challenge it, trying to get whatever they desire but fate is not something we can easily defy without losing something……………If you fail, you may lose something more than just your pride, you may lose even your own life……………….___

Monday, one of the least favorite days for students. They have to go to school after two days of resting from a whole week of homework and study. But still, a Monday can bring big surprises, like a young boy is about discover………..

"Did you finish the essay that Mr. Kumazawa asked us to bring?" asked a brown-haired teenager to a boy beside him.

"Yes, I finished on Saturday" replied a blond boy.

Chatting and more chatting around the classroom. A certain dark-haired boy with dark blue eyes was shaking his head in disapproval while watching his classmates. He preferred silence and loneliness above all things. 

"We better sit! Mr. Kumazawa is coming!" exclaimed a girl and everybody in the classroom stopped talking just before their teacher entered the classroom.

_Finally, I was wondering when he was going to come and stop all this gossip thought the blue-eyed boy._

"Good morning, get in your seats" ordered a familiar voice and everyone scrambled to their desks.

"Good morning" greeted the students in chorus.

"Today, I'm introducing all of you to a new student that will be studying with us. Come in."

A girl about 15 years old came into the classroom. She had pale skin, hazel eyes and long black hair tied in a ponytail. She was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans and a white Chinese blouse. She also had a pair of long and narrow locks of hair falling down her cheeks.

"She's Sayuri Miyahara and she comes from Hong Kong" said Mr. Kumazawa and he heard some gasps of surprise.

"Miyahara? She's back?" whispered one girl to the girl beside her.

"Remember that she went to China or Hong Kong" whispered back a brown-haired girl.

"Miss Miyahara has just returned from Hong Kong after a few years and as you might suppose, she lives in the Miyahara Shrine" explained the professor and he coughed after hearing more whispers "I think most of you know her"

"May I take a seat?" asked the new girl politely, but her voice was like cold water running over stones.

"Sure, your seat, let me see…" replied the professor and his eyes roved over the class before settling on a back corner "Ah. The seat behind Mr. Minamoto is empty, it's the one beside the window"

"Thank you" said Sayuri and she walked to the seat that was beside the window as she ignored the whispers about her, she didn't even take a look at Kouji.

The Literature class started and Mr. Kumazawa started writing something in the blackboard. Many students were whispering while others were taking quick glances at Sayuri.

Kouji Minamoto was copying what the professor was writing on his notebook but he soon noticed that most of his fellow classmates were gazing oddly at the girl behind him. 

_It's strange, why is everyone so curious about that girl? thought the blue-eyed boy and he frownedI'd know what's going on if I had arrived to this school before she moved to Hong Kong_

Anyways, Kouji decided to ignore all the whispers he could hear and he continued writing. What made that girl so peculiar that all his classmates were staring at her?

It wouldn't have surprised him if all the boys were staring at Sayuri Miyahara because the girl was good-looking but there were also girls staring at her. 

Who was Sayuri Miyahara? The professor said that she lived in the Miyahara Shrine, a place not so far from his house. 

That meant nothing good, he had liked to go there since he moved to his current house. That shrine was always empty and he visited it very often because of the peace and silence of the place. If a family had returned, there would be all kind of noises and bustle around the shrine.

Meanwhile, the new girl was staring at the notebook on her desk and she was aware of the glances that came from her classmates. Wouldn't they stop looking at her in that way? Most of them had been her classmates, just before she had to move again to Hong Kong. They probably remembered her but none of them had befriended her.

Anyways, she was used to the whispers and strange glances. Most of the people she met avoided her, so she always ended without company.

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Hours passed like minutes and the first classes ended. It was lunchtime and the students started going to the cafeteria or to the school grounds.

Kouji Minamoto took his lunch and left the classroom like he did every day. Then, he made his way to the school's rooftop. He walked and was about to start eating his sandwich when he soon spotted someone else in the same place.

Sayuri Miyahara was also there, she was watching the school grounds from the top of the school's rooftop where she got a perfect view of everything. Unexpectedly, she turned her head to Kouji.

"Who are you?" she asked, her voice was as cold as when she spoke for the first time, back at the classroom.

"I'm Kouji Minamoto" replied the dark-haired boy.

"You're the boy that sits in front of me, aren't you?" said Sayuri.

"Yes" replied Kouji and he shrugged "And what are you doing here?"

"Nothing" said Sayuri and they stared at each other.

A slight breeze blew and both teenagers remained silent but they didn't stop staring at each other. Blue sapphire met hazel.

"How many times do I have to tell you to go to another place, Minamoto?" said another voice and both teenagers turned to see a man in his last fifties.

"I'm sorry, professor" was Kouji's reply and the man spotted Sayuri.

"Ah, you must be Miss Miyahara" said the man and Sayuri nodded "You're new and you probably don't know this but students aren't allowed to be in such dangerous place"

"This is not a dangerous place, professor" said Kouji clearly annoyed, Mr. Yuyama was exaggerating like he always did.

"Of course it is, Minamoto" said Mr. Yuyama and he cleared his throat "Now, why don't you show Miss Miyahara the school grounds?"

"Excuse me, but who exactly are you?" asked Sayuri, not very happy with the professor's suggestion.

"Everybody knows me as professor Yuyama and I teach Geography" replied the professor.

"Well, I have to go" said Sayuri and she made her way towards the stairs that lead to the fifth floor.

"But I told Mr. Minamoto to show you the school grounds" said the professor loudly just before the new girl started descending the stairs.

"That won't be necessary" said Sayuri icily.

"You heard her" said Kouji, feeling relieved that he wouldn't have to spend time with a stranger.

"I think you two didn't understand me" said the professor, he sounded upset "Minamoto will show you the school grounds, Miss Miyahara"

"But professor, it's lunchtime and I can do whatever I want" said Kouji, trying to sound polite.

"I said that you'll go with her" said the professor harshly and he smirked "If she's as rebellious as you, I don't doubt that you two will become good friends. Now go" 

"Yes, professor" replied Kouji as he glared Mr. Yuyama.

"Get going" said the professor and he watched as Kouji and Sayuri started descending the stairs together.

The two teenagers didn't utter a single word as they descended more and more stairs. They finally arrived to the school's playground.

"So………where are we going?" asked Sayuri and she shrugged "You don't have to show me the school if you don't want to"

"I have to" said Kouji and he gritted his teeth "Mr. Yuyama will ask to the other teachers if they saw us together"

"Do you know of another calm or lonely place?" asked Sayuri.

"Yes, come with me" said Kouji and Sayuri followed him to a place surrounded by trees, it looked like a small forest.

"Nice place but many people should come here often" said Sayuri.

"Yes but………it gets quieter and lonelier the further you go" said Kouji and he took out his sandwich "Besides, it's strange to find students or teachers here, they're usually at the cafeteria or at the playground"

"Then, I'll go to take a look. I can meet you here before the bell rings" said Sayuri and she began walking to the east, leaving Kouji alone.

"Good idea" whispered the dark-haired boy as he watched Sayuri walking.

He was glad that Sayuri had suggested that, he could be alone in that place without worrying for Mr. Yamada. That Geography teacher was really annoying not to mention that he was one of the most strict teachers at school. 

For him, I'm nothing but an insolent and rebellious boy. A boy that cannot be tamed and never will. There hadn't been a single student that he couldn't have tamed…… thought Kouji and he smirked ……except me

After that, he started eating his sandwich while enjoying the silence. He remembered the shrine and sighed, he'd have to look for another peaceful place. Well, at least his father and his stepmother wouldn't be at home after school, they were visiting an old friend at Matsue.

Soon, he was done with his sandwich and he wondered about the new girl. He still didn't understand why all his classmates were glancing at her oddly. She wasn't like all the girls he had met, she seemed to like loneliness too and that was pretty strange for him.

He always thought that girls were supposed to be cheerful and noisy, not to mention that they cared a lot about looks, boyfriends and make-up.

But it didn't matter, he liked the cold tone she used when she spoke to Mr. Yamada. The professor wasn't used to be ignored and Sayuri Miyahara was, in some way, disobeying and defying his orders.

Meanwhile, Sayuri was leaning slightly against a tree and she was thinking in Kouji's sapphire blue eyes. They were really fascinating, the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen. But still, she didn't remember a boy with such wonderful eyes.

She then remembered that he didn't look at her oddly like all her classmates, even if she sat behind him. Maybe he moved to Shibuya after she moved to Hong Kong. That made sense.

Then, she realized that lunchtime was almost over and she walked to the same place where she left Kouji. The boy was already waiting for her.

"Can we go back to the classroom?" asked Sayuri.

"Yes" replied Kouji and they made their way back to their classroom in complete silence.

"Minamoto, I didn't know that you got a girlfriend!" mocked a voice behind them.

"What do you want, Nakajima?" said Kouji coldly after he and Sayuri turned to see a boy.

He was Taeko Nakajima, one of the most popular boys at junior school. He was good-looking because of his chestnut hair and gray eyes, that was why many girls were after him. He also had a good reputation at school because he acted like a kind and nice boy even if he liked to bully younger kids with his gang after classes. He also disliked Kouji because of their rivalry at the self-defense club and he often taunted him.

"Tell me, crazy girl……...what did your psychiatrist say?" said Taeko and many laughed.

"Crazy girl? That's how you still call me?" said Sayuri icily and she shook her head in disapproval "You need to be more creative, Nakajima"

"I almost pity you, Minamoto. I hate to admit that she's attractive" said Taeko and he laughed "But she's still a freak"

When Taeko Nakajima least expected, he received one punch on the face and one kick on his stomach. Sayuri had kicked him at the same time Kouji had punched him on the face.

"Serves you right" said Kouji and he glared Taeko "And remember to respect a girl"

"You're very slow and weak. Good luck for the next time" said Sayuri to Taeko.

"Minamoto! Miyahara!" yelled a furious voice.

"Not him" muttered Kouji when Mr. Yuyama entered the classroom.

"You'll pay for this, Minamoto" said Taeko and he smirked "And you too, Miyahara"

"Taeko, are you okay?" asked the professor.

"Yes, uncle" replied Taeko.

"I shouldn't have left this girl with you" said the professor angrily and he smirked "You two will sing at the ball"

"What?" exclaimed Kouji in disbelief.

"What ball?" asked Sayuri.

"The one that will be hold this Friday" said Mr. Yuyama.

"There's no way I'm going to sing in public" said Kouji.

"That's your punishment for hurting a student" said Mr. Yuyama and he smirked again "If you don't sing, you'll fail my subject this year"

"You can't do that" said Sayuri "The principal won't allow that"

"Of course I can" said the professor "The principal always agrees with punishments"

"Ask Nakajima why I hit him" said Sayuri defiantly and she glared the teacher "But of course, you wouldn't punish your dear nephew"

"I will not admit such an insolent student in my class" said Mr. Yuyama furiously "Leave the classroom, Miyahara" 

"Fine" said Sayuri coldly and she left the classroom.

"She's even more rebellious than Minamoto, uncle" commented Taeko.

"She'll learn discipline, don't worry" said Mr. Yuyama and he turned to Kouji "Remember: you'll sing with her at the ball"

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

Most of the classes had ended and the students were at their respective clubs. Kouji Minamoto was very surprised to see Sayuri in the self-defense club but she showed to be skillful after she beat Megumi Sugiyama and Keisuke Yoshioka.

"May I test Miyahara's ability with poles, sensei?" asked Taeko Nakajima after he saw Sayuri fighting against Keisuke, his best friend.

"That's a good suggestion, Nakajima" said Mr. Ikeda "Take two poles and give one to her" 

"But he's experienced, sir. He could hurt her" intervened Kouji after Taeko handed Sayuri a bamboo pole.

"You're right, Minamoto" said the sensei and he frowned "But she was very skillful when she fought with Sugiyama and Yoshioka"

"So you think I'm weak, Minamoto?" said Sayuri with resentment in her voice "I'm not and I want to fight Nakajima"

"Okay. The rest of us will watch your battle in the opposite side of the room, you'll start fighting when I say" said the sensei and everybody except Taeko and Sayuri went to the opposite of the room.

"Let's see what you can do, Miyahara" said Taeko "I won't forgive you for that kick"

"Remember to show respect before fighting" said Mr. Ikeda and both adversaries bow to each other "Start!"

Suddenly, both poles crashed and Taeko suddenly bent and tried to knock Sayuri off her feet with his pole but the girl jumped and used her pole to prevent her from falling. Then, she began spinning the pole and she launched at Taeko who could barely dodge her. 

"She's very fast" said Kouji while watching the battle.

"Yes" agreed Mr. Ikeda and suddenly, Sayuri knocked Taeko.

"It seems I won" said the black-haired girl.

"That was great! I didn't think that a new student could beat one of my best apprentices!" exclaimed Mr. Ikeda as he and the other students approached.

"She was just lucky! If I had known that she wasn't a rookie, I would have fought seriously and won" said Taeko after he got up.

"Maybe you're right" said Mr. Ikeda and he turned to Sayuri with a grin 

"Nakajima was defeated by Miyahara! This is a great story!" exclaimed one boy.

"What? I told you, she was mere lucky! The next time I'll win, you'll see" said Taeko angrily.

"Why don't you admit that she beat you? Stop being arrogant for a while" said Kouji.

"Watch your words, Minamoto. I wouldn't like to waste my time with a pushover like you" said Taeko.

"I'm not a pushover!" growled Kouji.

"Of course you are" said Taeko and he whistled "You're afraid of me" 

"You wish" said Kouji angrily and Taeko sniggered.

"I think you'll be one of my top students, Miyahara" said the teacher and he looked at the clock in the wall "Well, the class is over for today. Class dismissed" 

The room was soon emptied and everybody started walking their way home after saying goodbye and taking their things.

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Kouji Minamoto walked down the street in his way home when he saw a familiar figure stumbling before him and he realized that it was Sayuri.

"Are you fine?" asked the blue-eyed boy after running towards her.

"Minamoto? Have you been following me?" asked Sayuri after recognizing him.

"No, my house is near your family's shrine" replied Kouji.

"I didn't know that" said Sayuri and she continued walking.

"You look tired" said Kouji suddenly.

"It's a headache and I must be going, the shrine is near" said Sayuri.

"I know, my house is very near" said Kouji and Sayuri leaned against a wall "You should rest and eat something, you look ill" 

"I'm fine, Minamoto" said Sayuri icily and she glared him when she suddenly stumbled and Kouji caught her.

"My house is near. I can call to your house and…………." said Kouji but he was interrupted.

"My mother isn't probably there right now and I don't like pity from others" said Sayuri bitterly.

"It's not pity" said Kouji still holding her.

"Now, let me go. I don't like this kind of closeness with a stranger" said Sayuri but in the moment Kouji was going to release her, she fainted.

"Miyahara, wake up!" said Kouji and he tried to wake the girl in his arms without having success.

*********************

"It seems that you still don't lose hope" said a sinister voice.

"And it seems that you still want to keep this curse. Why can't you forget what happened centuries ago?" said Sayuri defiantly.

She was in a place completely surrounded by darkness. Suddenly, thin strings appeared from nowhere and wrapped Sayuri tightly.

"I read your mind last night. You think that if you sleep more you can find a clue in your dreams to get rid of me" said the sinister voice.

"Stop this! Why couldn't you torment my ancestor? I don't have the fault of whatever happened to you!" yelled Sayuri and the strings tightened even more.

"I'm not that benevolent, my dear. Besides, you cannot change your fate" said the voice and Sayuri started coughing because the string around her neck was beginning to choke her.

"I will not suffer the same fate! Leave me alone!" yelled Sayuri and the voice started laughing evilly.

"I won't. There's only one way to break my curse but there's no hope for you because it's impossible" said the voice and in that moment, Sayuri vanished.

*********************

"Where am I?" asked the black-haired girl immediately after she opened her eyes and found herself on a sofa.

"You woke up" said a familiar voice and he got closer "I was about to go to the shrine. By the way, this is my house" 

"Kouji Minamoto!" exclaimed Sayuri, not being able to hide her surprise "What………….what happened?" 

"You fainted in my arms and I took you here, we were lucky that my house was very near" replied Kouji.

"I………...fainted………in…………your………….arms?" asked Sayuri slowly and a pink shade appeared in her cheeks.

"Yes, you fainted just before I let you go" said Kouji as he glanced at other direction.

"Well, thank you for taking care of me but I must get going" said Sayuri and she got up.

"You're welcome but you didn't look very well" said Kouji.

"I'm fine, thank you for everything" said Sayuri.

"I'll go with you, follow me" said Kouji and he walked to a door, then, he opened it.

"No, I can go alone" said Sayuri coldly and she left the house.  

"I'm still going, you can't forbid me to walk" said Kouji.

"Do as you wish" said Sayuri.

"Wait, you're forgetting your schoolbag" said Kouji and he handed Sayuri her bag.

In the moment their hands touched, Sayuri saw two images of Kouji: in one, he appeared punching Taeko Nakajima in the face and in the other, he was falling down stairs.

"Goodbye" said Sayuri hurriedly and she started walking very quickly towards the Miyahara Shrine.

_Why did I have that visions? It's very strange, the last time I had visions was before my grandmother fell ill but it was last year_ thought the girl while Kouji was following her.

_That girl is really strange,_ _one moment she looks ill and the next one she looks fine thought Kouji_ and Sayuri stopped walking soon. They had arrived to the entrance of the Miyahara Shrine.

"I've finally arrived home" said Sayuri and she turned to face him "You better go home or your parents might worry"

"My father and his wife went to Matsue. Besides, I like this place" said Kouji.

"You come here often?" asked Sayuri, it was strange that a boy of her age liked to go to a shrine instead of having fun with his friends.

"Sometimes, it's a quiet place and I enjoy silence" replied Kouji and he shrugged "Besides, the sacred tree is very beautiful in spring" 

"Yes, I know" agreed Sayuri and her voice softened "I used to climb that tree before I moved again to Hong Kong" 

"Why did you move to Hong Kong?" asked Kouji.

"My father's dead and my mother's family lives there" replied Sayuri emotionlessly.

"I didn't know that" said Kouji quickly and he sighed "I moved to this city a few years ago"

"Sayuri! You've arrived!" exclaimed a woman.

She was Sayuri's mother, Jiang Li Miyahara. Mrs. Miyahara looked like an older Sayuri because she had the same pale skin and the same straight black hair even if her eyes were ember instead of hazel.

"Good afternoon, mother" greeted Sayuri.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Miyahara" greeted Kouji a bit startled and he bowed "I'm Kouji Minamoto"

"Good afternoon, young man. I'm Jiang Li Miyahara" replied Mrs. Miyahara with a grin after bowing.

"I'm sorry if I delayed, mother" said Sayuri without coldness in her voice.

"It's okay, I see you befriended a handsome and polite boy" said Mrs. Miyahara while smiling and Kouji blushed.

"Thanks for your compliments but I must get going" said the dark-haired teenager.

"I hope to see you soon, goodbye" said Mrs. Miyahara.

"Goodbye" said Kouji and he was about to turn round when Sayuri spoke.

"Be careful with all the stairs you see, Minamoto" warned the black-haired girl.

"Why do you say that?" asked Kouji.

"Let's say………….I have a strange feeling about that" replied Sayuri and the blue-eyed boy raised an eyebrow.

"Okay. See you tomorrow" said Kouji and he started walking his way back home.

_He must think that I'm nuts like everyone elsethought Sayuri._

"Why did you tell him that, Sayuri?" asked Mrs. Miyahara.

"I had a vision when I touched his hand" replied Sayuri.

"You had a vision? What did you see?" asked Mrs. Miyahara worriedly.

"I saw him punching another boy in the face and I saw him falling down stairs" replied Sayuri.

"And you say you had that vision when you touched his hand?" asked Mrs. Miyahara and Sayuri nodded "So that means you two were holding hands?"

"Of course not. He handed me my schoolbag, that's why I touched his hand" said Sayuri emotionlessly.

"He's good-looking, why don't you try to befriend him? If you succeed, he could even become your boyfriend" said Sayuri's mom.

"I have other things to worry, I don't have time for a boyfriend" said Sayuri and she frowned.

She was worried for the vision she had. That stairs looked familiar and she had to repay Kouji Minamoto in some way……………… 

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Well, I hope you review and I'll explain more about the Miyahara curse in the next chapter. I've changed my style and I'll try to be descriptive………

About the punishment, well……I needed to be a bit "unrealistic" because I'm writing the second chapter.

I also want to include Kouichi in this story because I like him a lot and I want to use him as matchmaker  =) I know that Kouji might act a bit OOC but I'll fix that later, see you!

 P.S. They'll sing Haruka no Okurimono by AiM and Kouji Wada.

~~~Li Kasumi


	2. Singing and Talking

**_THE LONEWOLF MEETS HIS MATCH_**

By Li Kasumi

Disclaimer: Hi! I do not own Digimon nor its characters. I hope you review this story so I can know what you think of it and I apologize if my grammar is not so good. Please read, enjoy and review  ^_^

_Italics_--thoughts

Summary: AU fanfic. Loneliness is her one friend while living in shadows. Sayuri is a mysterious girl who deals with a curse that has haunted her family for years…but what would happen if someone like Kouji Minamoto gets intrigued by her? 

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It was Thursday. Three days after Sayuri had arrived to school. Days were getting cooler in November and many teenagers were at the school's playground, they were members of the self-defense club.

"Now, spin your poles the fastest you can" said Mr. Ikeda.

"Can't we do something more difficult, sensei?" said Taeko Nakajima.

"No, there are new students like Tomiyama and Himura" said the sensei and he came with a suggestion "Why don't you practice martial arts with Minamoto?

"What? He's a rookie like everyone, he's a clumsy kid. He spins the pole like a girl" said Taeko and he began spinning his pole faster.

"Jealous because you didn't learn to do this faster?" said Kouji while glaring Taeko.

"What did you say?" demanded Taeko loudly.

"Behave you two" said Mr. Ikeda, those two boys argued a lot.

"Yes, sensei" replied both teenagers but they glared at each other.

"I'll wait for you in the rooftop after this class finishes, you'll learn to respect me" whispered Taeko.

"Fine but you're the one who'll learn to respect others" whispered back Kouji.

"The class is about to finish so take the poles to its place and then, you may leave" announced Mr. Ikeda after a few minutes and the students obeyed.

"Goodbye" "See you soon" Goodbye, sensei"

"Let's go, Minamoto" said Taeko.

"Ladies first" said Kouji and Taeko glared him, then, they left together.

Anyways, Sayuri saw them leaving and frowned. It meant nothing good and less when she saw many boys taking poles and leaving in the same direction Kouji and Taeko had.

_What are they up to? They don't like each other……Are they setting a trap for Minamoto?_ thought Sayuri and something came to her mind.

~*~*~*~*~************~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, Kouji Minamoto and Taeko Nakajima finally arrived to the rooftop.

"I think we can fight here. The school is almost empty" said Taeko.

"Good. You must stop being arrogant" said Kouji.

"Do you really think you have a chance to beat me?" asked Taeko and he smirked "Come on, try to punch me"

"You asked for it" said Kouji and before Taeko could react, he punched him in the face.

"You'll pay for this!" yelled Taeko angrily and he launched at Kouji but the blue-eyed boy dodged him in time.

"You haven't hit me yet!" exclaimed Kouji and he smirked.

"I will!" yelled Taeko and he bent and spun to knock Kouji off his feet "I succeeded!"

"You call that a success?" mocked Kouji and he was punched in the face and then, in the stomach.

"I hope this was enough for you or do you want more?" said Taeko.

"You haven't beaten me yet, Nakajima!" said Kouji and he got up but Taeko kicked him hard in the stomach sending him to the wall.

"Why can't you understand that you'll never be at my level?" asked Taeko.

"Just because you've hit me many times, it doesn't mean that you've beaten me" said Kouji angrily, ignoring the pain in his stomach.

"Look at yourself, you look weary" said Taeko and Kouji got up slowly.

"I'm fine, worry for yourself" said Kouji and he put away his bandana.

"So Minamoto is going to fight seriously……….." mocked Taeko and Kouji glared him.

"I'm not as coward as you to not admit that I was defeated by a girl" replied Kouji and Taeko turned red.

"That's it, Minamoto!" yelled Taeko Nakajima angrily and he raised his fist.

"What are you waiting for? I'm not afraid of you, you need your gang of pathetic bullies for your dirty work" said Kouji and Taeko ran towards him furiously.

"I won't even feel sympathy for you when I finish you off" said Nakajima.

After what he said, he tried to kick Kouji but the blue-eyed boy bent to dodge him. Then, Kouji began punching Taeko in the stomach.

Suddenly, the blue-eyed boy felt a stinging pain on his head and he stopped punching Taeko. Then, someone threw him to the floor and a bunch of boys started hitting him with poles.

"Are you fine, Taeko?" asked a boy named Keisuke with a pole on his hand.

"Yes, a girl like him would never beat me" said Taeko and he smirked "Grab him"

"Cowards!" yelled Kouji after Taeko's friends held him.

"He called all of you pathetic bullies" said Taeko and he crossed his arms "Will you allow that?"

"Of course not" said one boy named Musashi and he kicked Kouji in the face, causing him to wince.

"He also called us cowards" said one boy named Takenori and he punched Kouji in the stomach.

"Let's throw him down stairs" said Keisuke.

"I like your suggestion, pal" said Taeko and they did as Keisuke said.

"If someone asks you about your bruises, you'll tell that you fell down stairs" said Takenori.

"Or you'll be beaten again" said Taeko menacingly.

"I don't fear you…………" said Kouji defiantly and he was about to say something more when he felt that someone was behind him.

"Didn't I tell you to be careful?" asked a loud but still voice and Kouji turned to face a person.

"Sayuri Miyahara" whsipered Kouji and Taeko receded in surprise after recognizing Sayuri's voice.

"What are you doing there, Miyahara?" demanded Taeko.

"That's none of your business" replied Sayuri icily.

"How did you know that we were going to fight?" asked Keisuke.

"Think about that for yourselves and I suggest you to leave now" replied Sayuri and she showed a pair bamboo poles.

"What? You better not tell anyone about this or…………" said Taeko.

"Or what? You know that I'm pretty good at bojitsu so if you're trying to threaten me………..I'm sorry but it won't work" said Sayuri emotionlessly.

"I'm not afraid of a girl" said Taeko.

"We're six against two" said Keisuke and he sniggered "Or should I say one and a half?"

"Sensei Ikeda is still at school and he's looking for his poles. I could tell him that some of his students stole them to beat a boy" said Sayuri icily.

"You have two poles" pointed out Taeko.

"So? I asked him to lend them to me while all of you took them without his permission" said Sayuri "He's not like your uncle"

"We should get going, Taeko" said Keisuke.

"You're lucky, Miyahara" said Taeko and he glared her "Let's go, guys"

"Be careful, you two" said Keisuke as he and his other friends went past them.

"Yes, I'll be careful so I don't beat you so badly next time" said Sayuri with that cold voice of hers.

"How did you know that we were going to fight?" asked Kouji once the bullies were gone.

"I thought you were smarter" said Sayuri and she helped him to get up "Nakajima and you left together, five boys left in the same direction with poles seconds later………….It was easy to know what was going on"

"And why did you come here?" asked Kouji as he winced, his stomach really hurt.

"I owe you one" replied Sayuri emotionlessly and she noticed he didn't have his bandana "Where's your bandana?"

"It's on the floor of the rooftop" replied Kouji and he clutched his stomach.

"Your family is still in Matsue?" asked Sayuri and Kouji nodded "You can come to my house to take care of your wounds"

"Why are you helping me?" asked Kouji as he eyed her.

"I've already told you, I owe you one" replied Sayuri "And I forgot to thank you for punching Nakajima on Monday"

"You don't have to…………" said Kouji and he realized something "Wait! How did you know that I was going to be thrown down stairs?" 

"You wouldn't believe me if I tell you" replied Sayuri.

"I'll judge that" said Kouji and Sayuri sighed.

"That's none of your concern" said the black-haired girl "Stay here. I'm going for your bandana"

"Thank you" said Kouji and Sayuri went up stairs to go for his bandana, then she returned with it.

"You can put an arm around me to walk, but just until we get out of school" offered the girl after she handed Kouji his bandana.

"Thank you, again" said Kouji after he put an arm around Sayuri and they started descending the stairs.

"Remember that I'm only helping you for helping me" said Sayuri.

"Yes, I know" said Kouji.

"Good" said Sayuri while walking with him "Do you think you'll be fine until we arrive to my house?"

"I'll be fine" said Kouji "The shrine is not so far"

After that, they left the school without uttering a single word. They soon were walking down the street that leaded to the Miyahara Shrine. They continued walking with an uncomfortable silence until they arrived to the shrine and entered a house not so far from the entrance.

"Your house is very beautiful with all these traditional decorations" commented Kouji unexpectedly.

"Thanks" replied Sayuri "Why don't you sit on the sofa while I go for bandages?"

"Okay" said Kouji and he sat on the sofa Sayuri mentioned before.

"Then, please wait here" said Sayuri and she went to the kitchen.

Meanwhile, Kouji was observing Sayuri's home until he spotted a picture over a table with a much more younger Sayuri, Jiang Li and a man that he supposed was Sayuri's father. He was about to pick it when Sayuri returned with a first-aid kit. 

"I hope I didn't delay" said Sayuri without the usual coldness in her voice.

"No, you didn't" replied Kouji.

"Hmm……….I'll start taking care of your face" said Sayuri.

"That's fine with me" said Kouji "Where's your mother?"

"She's probably visiting one of her old friends" replied Sayuri and she opened the first-aid kit.

After some time, Sayuri was done and she finally closed the first-aid kit. Then, she handed Kouji a small and transparent bottle.

"What's this?" asked the blue-eyed boy.

"It's an ointment that alleviates muscular aches, you can take it home" said Sayuri.

"Thanks" said Kouji and he put the ointment in his pocket.

"You're welcome" replied Sayuri and she avoided his eyes.

"Are you fine?" said Kouji, remembering when she fainted days before.

"Yes, I'm fine" said Sayuri and she softened her voice "I was wondering……..maybe……you'd like to stay and eat with me because your parents aren't in the city"

_And the answer will be: "No, thanks"………I don't know why I don't lose hope that I can get close to someone. I'm hopelessthought Sayuri._

"Really? I'm used to eat alone but if I can stay with you, it'd be fine with me" said Kouji.

"Then, come with me" said Sayuri and they soon found themselves eating in the same table.

"Your mother is a good cooker" said Kouji after he finished his bowl of rice.

"Thanks" replied Sayuri and the same uncomfortable silence returned until they heard a noise.

"Sayuri, I'm home!" announced Mrs. Miyahara and she spotted Kouji.

"Good afternoon" greeted Kouji.

"Good afternoon" greeted back Jiang Li.

"I'm going to the kitchen for……….." started Sayuri but her mother interrupted her.

"Don't worry, I ate at Naoko's home" said Jiang Li and she frowned after the first-aid kit "Sayuri, you didn't get more bruises, did you?"

"No, the bandages were for him" replied Sayuri and she finally finished her bowl of rice.

"Yes, now that I get closer, I see some bruises on his face" said Jiang Li.

"I fought with some boys after classes, that's why I have these bruises" explained Kouji quickly.

"And they threw him down stairs" added Sayuri.

"And why did you fight with that boys, young man?" asked Mrs. Miyahara.

"His leader challenged me but he's a coward and his minions helped him" said Kouji.

"Sayuri could teach you Chinese martial arts, that could help you" said Mrs. Miyahara.

"He's in the self-defense club, he doesn't need to learn Chinese martial arts" said Sayuri "Besides, it's easier for me to fight with poles or a bamboo sword than to fight without an arm" 

"But you could practice your skills with him" said Jiang Li.

"But I have other things to do" said Sayuri and she turned to Kouji "May I pick up your bowl and your plate?" 

"Yes, please" replied Kouji and Sayuri got up, then, she began clearing the dishes from the table.

"Wait, I can help you" offered Kouji and he took the glasses from the table and followed Sayuri to the kitchen.

"Thanks" said Sayuri once they returned from the kitchen.

"You're welcome" replied Kouji.

"Sayuri, why don't you show him the sacred tree? I'm sure he'll like it" suggested Mrs. Miyahara.

"I've already seen it, ma'am" said Kouji "I come here often"

"I didn't know that" said Jiang Li.

"He probably has something to do, mother" said Sayuri and she loosened her hair "He must be tired after that beating"

"I'm not weak" said Kouji determinedly, feeling offended by the girl's comment "Let's go to see the sacred tree" 

"Sayuri can show you the shrine while I'm taking care of certain things" intervened Jiang Li.

"Thanks" said Kouji.

"Please follow me" said Sayuri.

"I'll see you later" said Mrs. Miyahara and the teenagers nodded before leaving the house.

"I didn't think that your hair were so long" commented Kouji while walking.

"It reaches my waist so it's more comfortable to have it tied into a ponytail" said Sayuri.

"So, what are we going to do about the song?" asked Kouji and they finally arrived to the sacred tree.

"You mean the one for the ball?" said Sayuri and Kouji nodded "I don't know"

"What kind of song would you like to sing?" asked Kouji.

"I don't know, I like Ai Maeda's songs but if we're going to sing together……." said Sayuri.

"Ai Maeda? Do you know the song 'Haruka na Okurimono'?" asked Kouji.

"Yes, she sings it with Kouji Wada" replied Sayuri and she sat beside the sacred tree.

"I'm not as talented as Kouji Wada but I can try to sing it" said Kouji "I like his songs"

"Why does that teacher want us to sing? Does he do that with every student that beats his nephew?" asked Sayuri and Kouji sat beside her.

"No, but he likes to annoy me and he knows that I didn't want to go to that ball" replied Kouji.

"You shouldn't have punched Nakajima" said Sayuri and she sighed "It was all my fault, if I hadn't returned to Japan…………"

"It's not your fault" said Kouji.

"But you punched him because of what he said about me" said Sayuri.

"He deserved that and more" said Kouji "By the way, your kicks must hurt"

"Your punches too" replied Sayuri.

"I liked the look on his face after you beat him" said Kouji.

"Yeah" agreed Sayuri.

"You're an only child?" asked Kouji.

"Yes" replied Sayuri after nodding "What about you?"

"I don't have any siblings. My only family is my father and my stepmother" said Kouji.

"Stepmother?" repeated Sayuri.

"My mother died years ago and my father remarried" said Kouji bitterly.

"But at least you've got a mother and a father" said Sayuri "I only have my mother"

"Well………" said Kouji and he looked away, feeling uneasy "Will we sing 'Haruka na Okurimono'?" 

"That's fine with me" said Sayuri.

"I will only go to sing and I'll go back home" said Kouji.

"I'll do that too" said Sayuri and she closed her eyes "I don't like parties"

"Why not?" asked Kouji after raising an eyebrow.

"I don't enjoy them" replied Sayuri softly.

"Well, I think we should rehearse" said Kouji.

"Right" said Sayuri.

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~************~*~*~*~*~

Friday finally arrived and the students were in their last class. They were just waiting for the bell to ring and they'd be free. Most of them had been looking forward to this day, the ball was going to begin at seven o'clock. 

"I know that you're impatient and that you won't pay attention" said Mr. Kumazawa and he sighed "Class dismissed"

"Great!" "Thanks, professor" "You're the best!"

"And remember: Miyahara and Minamoto will sing at the ball!" exclaimed Taeko Nakajima.

"Thanks for reminding them, Nakajima" said Kouji coldly.

"You're welcome" said Taeko and he left the classroom with his gang.

"Where did he learn to be so annoying?" said Sayuri and she walked towards the door.

"Dunno. Maybe he learnt it from his uncle" said Kouji and Sayuri nodded.

"Right" said the black-haired girl "I'll see you later"

"Yes" replied Kouji and Sayuri left the classroom.

Later, Kouji arrived to his house and he frowned when he saw his father's car. His family had come back from Matsue and he wondered what both his father and stepmother would say about him singing……..in public……with a girl.

"I'm home" he announced once he opened the door.

"Kouji, we missed you" said his stepmother and she went to hug him.

"Why do you have bruises on the face?" asked Kousei Minamoto and his wife took out a green book from a drawer.

"Self-defense club" said Kouji, not wanting to worry him and his stepmother.

"You're probably starving" said his father, he was smoking.

"Yeah" said Kouji emotionlessly and he hesitated before continue speaking "I'll go to a ball later"

His stepmother dropped the book she was holding and his father coughed. Both turned to Kouji with a stunned expression…………Their son was going to a ball? They must be dreaming or it was an illusion, maybe it was a joke………but Kouji didn't joke.

"I think I misunderstood you" said Satomi, his stepmother.

"I'm going to a ball because of my Geography teacher" said Kouji a bit annoyed "I also have to sing with a girl"

"I think I'm listening things or something" said Kouji's father.

"I'm going to sing with a girl named Sayuri Miyahara at the autumn ball" said Kouji, he looked even more annoyed.

"Miyahara? Isn't that the name of the shrine?" asked Mr. Minamoto.

"Yes" replied Kouji and he put his schoolbag beside a door.

"And why are you going to sing with her?" asked Satomi Minamoto.

"Because she kicked Nakajima at the same time I punched him" said Kouji.

"You punched that boy, why?" said Mr. Minamoto.

"Because he deserved it" said Kouji with a tone that left no room for more questions.

"By the way, we phoned you yesterday" commented Mrs. Minamoto.

"I was at the shrine, I needed to rehearse the song that I'll sing at the ball" said Kouji.

"Oh" said his stepmother "Well, sit down. I cooked your father's favorite food"

"Fine" said Kouji and he obeyed his stepmother.

~*~*~*~*~************~*~*~*~*~

It was almost seven o'clock and Kouji Minamoto finally arrived to the gym, where the ball was being celebrated. He spotted Taeko Nakajima, who was with a girl named Yoko and his other friends so he walked to another direction. Then, he saw a familiar figure walking towards him.

"Hi" said Sayuri "What delayed you?"

"Hi" greeted back Kouji barely audible.

The black-haired girl had her hair loosened but it was neatly combed, not a hair out of place. She was wearing a silver medallion with the picture of a lily inscribed in it. Her cheongsam was light blue and it made her look elegant and beautiful.

"Is something wrong?" asked Sayuri.

"No" replied Kouji and he shook his head "I…….we must go to the stage to sing" 

"Yeah" said Sayuri and they walked together towards the stage, ignoring the glances they were receiving.

"I see you two came after all" said Mr. Yuyama once Kouji and Sayuri arrived to the stage, where a karaoke was playing.

"Of course, sir" said Kouji coldly.

"Fine" said Mr. Yuyama "Is everything ready?"

"Yes" replied Sayuri.

"Good" said Mr. Yuyama and he smirked "Wait here"

"Okay" said Kouji and the professor took two microphones.

"Now, we'll begin this ball with a song by Mr. Minamoto and Miss Miyahara" announced the professor.

"Thank you, professor" said Kouji while gritting his teeth after all the people turned their attention to him and Sayuri, nobody wanted to miss their performance.

"The karaoke for your song is ready" said a little kid to them.

"Let's begin" said Mr. Yuyama and the music started playing.

"Are you ready?" asked Kouji.

"Of course" said Sayuri.

**_Haruka mirai Warau bokutachi ni Itsuka aitai                                 I want to meet ourselves that laugh in the far future_**

_Sugiteku hibi Arikitari de hayakute Mienaku naru                               the days that pass by are common, fast, and I cannot see_

_Ima Jibun no iru basho ga doko na no ka Doko e mukau no ka          the place that I'm at now, to where am I going_

Nami ni nomareru koto wa Tayasui keredo                                          it's easy to be swallowed by the waves but

Tamerau no Naze nan darou...?                                                         why do I hesitate...?

**_Haruka mirai Warau bokutachi ni Itsuka aitai                                  _****_I want to meet ourselves that laugh in the far future_**

**_Sonna negai Areba kitto Machigawanai yo ne                                if that kind of wish is present, we'll never make mistakes_**

****

_Kowarekaketa hoshi de wa Kataru yume mo Usoppokute                    the dream told by a broken star seems like a lie_

_Ima Jibun no iru sekai mamoru dake de Seiippai demo                      __even if protecting the world I live in is the best I can do_

Osanai hi no kibou wa Tsukutta nja naku                                            the hope from the innocent days were not created but

Uketsuida mono deshou...?                                                               is something that is passed down...?

**_Haruka mirai Ikiru hitotachi ni Chizu okuritai                               I want to send a map to the people living in the far future_**

**_Sonna omoi Areba zutto Aruite yukeru ne                                   if that kind of feeling is present, we can continue walking_**

**_Haruka mirai Warau bokutachi ni Itsuka aitai                               I want to meet ourselves that laugh in the far future_**

**_Sonna negai Areba kitto Machigawanai yo ne                             if that kind of wish is present, we'll never make mistakes_**

After both teenagers finished singing, the audience started clapping. Nobody expected them to have such a lovely singing voice. 

"That was great!" exclaimed Mrs. Morita, the music teacher "Those two could sing in the winter festival!"

"Minamoto rarely speaks but he does have a beautiful voice" commented a brunette named Megumi.

"Yeah! Too bad he prefers loneliness, he's hot" agreed a red-head named Junko.

"We did what you wanted, sir" said Kouji coldly "I'm going"

"Why don't you stay, Minamoto?" begged Megumi, after getting closer to him with a bunch of girls.

"We never thought that you could be so talented" added Junko.

"I'm leaving" said Kouji harshly and he walked past them.

"You're going too, Miyahara?" said Taeko out of the blue when he saw Sayuri walking towards the exit.

"I have better things to do" replied Sayuri icily.

"Like what? You're going to fall asleep and have spooky nightmares?" said Kensuke mockingly, but this time, Sayuri didn't reply.

"What? Did the mouse bite your tongue?" mocked Taeko.

"You know, you _almost_ look like a normal girl" said Musashi and he whistled "Too bad you're not, because I'd ask you out"

"Why don't you get a life?" snapped Sayuri and someone placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Are they bothering you?" asked Kouji and he glared Taeko and his friends "Stay away from her"

"How cute! They're an item!" mocked Keisuke and his friends laughed.

"I'm not his girlfriend" said Sayuri and she glared Keisuke "I'm leaving, I don't have to waste my time with you"

"How sensitive!" said Musashi and Kouji grabbed him by the collar.

"Put him down, you'll be in trouble again" said Sayuri and Kouji did as she said "Thank you"

"She's smarter than you, Minamoto" said Taeko and Sayuri finally left not before glaring him.

"We're bad but not so bad" said Keisuke "Stay away from her, she's spooky and very strange"

"I don't need advice from someone like you" said Kouji coldly and he went after Sayuri.

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

The black-haired girl was walking towards the 'small forest' that Kouji had shown her last Monday, it was not so far from the gym. It was a quiet place and she climbed a tree, she really needed a bit of peace.

Why couldn't she, like everyone else, be chatting and laughing with at least one friend? Why couldn't she, have a happy family with both her father and mother? 

She blamed a sorcerer, a man that cursed her father's family centuries ago. It sounded strange and crazy but it was not a lie, like she would have wanted.

Why was her family cursed? That was a mystery to her because the voice that haunted her, had only told her that she was going to die like her father did. Of course she wanted to find a way to break that curse but she had no clue, it was not easy to investigate what happened many years ago and less if she didn't know the name of the sorcerer. 

She started thinking in her life. When she was at elementary school, she used to fall asleep in classes and the nightmares started haunting her because the sorcerer could make her fall asleep in any moment. She'd wish they were only scary nightmares, but they weren't because in them, the sorcerer summoned monsters to scare and attack her and she got injured most of the times. Then, she'd start screaming and all the children around her would get scared of her and many thought that she was crazy. 

With nightmares and monsters scaring her, she learnt to hide her deepest emotions even if the sorcerer started creating new ways to torment her. 

_"Don't try to escape your fate. Remember that I can make you fall asleep whenever I want, I can drain your energy easily"_ said the sorcerer once and Sayuri soon realized that he was right: she could fall asleep in any moment, at any place.

Deep in her heart, she wanted to find someone who'd believe her story even if most of the people tried to be as far as possible from her. 

But even if she wanted to get a friend, she didn't want someone to get hurt. Years ago, Jiang Li tried to wake her from one of her nightmares and she was also teleported to the "sorcerer's world".

No, she couldn't risk someone's safety. It wouldn't matter how much she wanted to have someone to talk with or to share her feelings and thoughts, she'd never put in danger somebody's life.

"You walk very fast" said a voice and Sayuri lost her grip and she fell from the tree.

"What are you trying to do?" said Sayuri not very pleased "I fell because of you"

"I'm sorry. Are you fine?" asked Kouji as he approached to her "You know, you're very fragile sometimes"

"So that's what you think?" said Sayuri, looking upset and she got up immediately.

"No, it's just that…….." said Kouji and he looked away "Why were our classmates looking oddly at you?"

"They think I'm strange" said Sayuri icily and she scowled.

"But I think that you're only a loner like me" said Kouji softly "Like me………"

"Why are you a loner? You're good-looking, there were at least ten girls around you" observed Sayuri.

"I've had to move and change schools frequently because of my father's job, and due to this, I don't know how to make friends" confessed Kouji.

"Well, I'm going" said Sayuri and she walked past him.

"Before you go, I'd like to know where you got that medallion" said Kouji and Sayuri turned to see him.

"My father gave it to me" said Sayuri.

"Why does it have a lily?" asked Kouji and he shrugged "That's your favorite flower?"

"My name means small lily" said Sayuri.

"Oh" said Kouji and the music from the ball could be listened "Nice music"

"Yeah" agreed Sayuri and something came to her mind "Why did you follow me?"

"Ah………" said Kouji and he hesitated "Curiosity"

"I see" said Sayuri and Kouji noticed that for one moment, she looked sad or maybe….……disappointed?

"Wanna dance?" asked the blue-eyed boy uneasily.

"What?" said Sayuri after raising an eyebrow.

"I understand if you don't want to dance with me" said Kouji quickly.

"But………here?" said Sayuri as she pointed to the grass.

"Yes" said Kouji.

"Ah………okay" said Sayuri "But I don't want to step on your feet"

"Don't worry, you're not clumsy" said Kouji and he took her hand.

"Thanks" said Sayuri and they began dancing slowly.

"Thanks? For what?" asked Kouji while they danced.

"You've helped me many times and you don't think I'm odd" said Sayuri shyly.

"You're a normal girl for me" said Kouji "Except for the fact that you dislike Nakajima"

"Who wouldn't?" said Sayuri and she almost stepped on Kouji's left foot.

"Try to feel the music" said Kouji quietly after dodging Sayuri "Don't think in anything else and you'll do fine"

"The melody is over" said Sayuri with relief after a few minutes and Kouji nodded "I must get going"

"I don't plan to stay, I can walk you home" offered Kouji.

"Are you sure? You might have to do something else" said Sayuri.

"No" said Kouji "Besides, I'd like to go to the shrine"

"Then, let's go" said Sayuri and they left the school together.

Both teenagers didn't speak while walking to Sayuri's home. Not being used to be accompanied, both wondered what they could say. It was frustrating that once they could get close to someone, they didn't know what to say or what not to say. Fortunately, they soon arrived to the Miyahara Shrine and Kouji finally spoke.

"Well, we've arrived" he said.

"So……….what do you want to do?" asked Sayuri.

"I'd like to go to the pond" replied Kouji "There are a few trees near it"

"You know this place very well" said Sayuri.

"Yes, I've already told you that I come here very often" said Kouji and they walked through the shrine, making their way to the pond.

Once there, they admired the beautiful scenery. A soft breeze was blowing and it made the leaves fall while fireflies flew around the place, making everything glow. A silver moon was reflected on the pond and the stars shone brightly in the night sky.

"This is beautiful" said Sayuri.

"Yeah" agreed Kouji softly and he enjoyed the sweet breeze "You were born in spring?"

"No. My birthday is in November" replied Sayuri and she sighed "November 27th"

"But your name means small lily" said Kouji.

"My parents liked that name a lot and I have pale skin" said Sayuri and she sighed "They thought that a white lily was as beautiful as me and that it suited me"

"I see" said Kouji and he sighed "I have to go"

"We've just arrived" said Sayuri and she got up "Then, I'll accompany you to the entrance of the shrine"

Kouji followed her closely and suddenly, Sayuri stopped in her tracks, causing him to stumble behind her.

"Hey!" complained Kouji.

"Who's being fragile now?" said Sayuri.

"So you did it in purpose" said Kouji "You're very immature"

"What? I'm not immature" said Sayuri.

"Of course you are" said Kouji.

"I wasn't the one who accepted to fight with Nakajima" said Sayuri.

"I had to accept his challenge" said Kouji.

"That was still pretty childish" said Sayuri.

"Sayuri, have you arrived?" called a voice, breaking their argument.

"Yes, I'm home!" yelled the black-haired girl after she heard her mother.

Jiang Li Miyahara walked towards them and glanced at the blue-eyed boy. She grinned at him and then grinned at her daughter.

"Good evening" said Kouji.

"Good evening" replied Jiang Li "I wasn't sure if you had arrived, I heard footsteps and I decided to check"

"I just wanted to come here for a few moments" said Kouji "I'm leaving"

"Oh" said Jiang Li and she frowned "Well, you could come for Sayuri's birthday. I'll bake a delicious cake"

"November 27th" said Kouji and he couldn't suppress a teasing giggle "She's older than me"

"Then, respect me!" exclaimed Sayuri after hitting him with a white paper fan.

"Act your age, you're being childish" said Kouji and he smirked.

"I'm not childish, Mr. Bandana" said Sayuri and she smirked after seeing Kouji's expression.

"Mr. Bandana? Who are you calling Mr. Bandana?" said Kouji, not looking pleased how Sayuri called him.

"Then, I could call you 'lonewolf' or 'blue-eyed samurai'" said Sayuri "What about little wolf? I could call you Xiao Lang, that's how you say it in Cantonese"

Then, they heard a cough coming from Jiang Li, she was pointing to the back of the shrine, where the sacred tree was. Sayuri and Kouji turned to look at it and they saw it surrounded by lots of fireflies. It was a beautiful spectacle.

"It looks great at spring but it does look wonderful right now" murmured Kouji, forgetting the argument he was having with Sayuri.

"I agree with you, Mr. Bandana" said Sayuri.

"Don't call me like that" said Kouji "I prefer 'lonewolf' in any case"

"Why don't you stay for dinner with Sayuri and me?" asked Jiang Li trying to prevent another argument.

"Thank you but I can't" said Kouji and he turned to leave "Goodbye"

"Goodbye" said Jiang Li "Sayuri will accompany you to the arch"

"Yes, I will" said Sayuri and she walked towards Kouji "Follow me, I won't make you stumble this time" 

"Hmmm………..You better not" said Kouji.

They walked together as Jiang Li watched them from afar. Her daughter had isolated herself from everybody and only talked when needed, but she was talking with that Kouji Minamoto boy like if they had met long time ago. She knew that Sayuri preferred loneliness because everyone would avoid her and look at her oddly, like if she were a kind of freak.

Then, the woman thought in Kouji and she smiled slightly. He didn't seem to be annoyed with Sayuri's presence and he was probably another loner. Maybe they would get along well and her daughter wouldn't be alone anymore. Yes, that was a happy thought.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

And that's my second chapter, I'm still writing the third one. Do you remember that Kouji-kun is not….er…..very good at cooking? Well, they have a home economics class =D and not only that……..a music box is a beautiful gift and even more if the melody it plays has a love story ^_-

Evil One1: Thanks a lot! I also dislike Kouzumi and love Kouji/OC fics. With all respect, I don't want to offend someone, I think that Izumi and Kouji aren't meant to be. Besides, I'd support Tazumi because of the talk that Takuya and Izumi had at Ophanimon's castle. Anyways, thank you for your review and I hope that you read, like and review this chapter too. =)

Kara: Thankies! I know that this is kind of a cliffy but don't worry because sometimes I don't know how to write one, it depends on the situation. Like Evil One1, I hope you read, like and review this chapter too. See you! =)


	3. Cakes

**THE LONEWOLF MEETS HIS MATCH**

By Li Kasumi

Disclaimer: Hi! I do not own Digimon nor its characters. I hope you review this story so I can know what you think of it and I apologize if my grammar is not good. Read, enjoy and review.

_Italics_--thoughts

Summary: AU fanfic. Loneliness is her one friend while living in shadows. Sayuri is a mysterious girl who deals with a curse that has haunted her family for years………..but what would happen if someone like Kouji Minamoto gets intrigued by her? 

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It wasn't a warm afternoon but it wasn't cold. A soft breeze was blowing around the city and it seemed that a woman and her daughter were enjoying it.

"And what would you like for your birthday?" asked a black-haired woman as she enjoyed the breeze on an uneventfully day.

"I don't know" replied a hazel-eyed girl and she shrugged "A cake would be nice"

"Fine, I'll bake it and you could invite Kouji" said Jiang Li Miyahara, she was with Sayuri at the back of the shrine.

"Why would he want to come?" said Sayuri and she frowned "It's not like if he were one of my cousins"

"I don't think he has something to do and I'm sure he'll like to taste my cake" said Jiang Li.

"I doubt that he'd want to come, mother" said Sayuri.

"But you two were talking last Thursday and you also joked with him last Friday" said Jiang Li.

"I wasn't joking with him" said Sayuri "It's just that I can easily talk with him"

"Yes, I've noticed that" said Jiang Li with a smile.

"But that doesn't mean that I'll befriend him" said Sayuri quickly.

"You can try, that's all I'm asking you" said Jiang Li.

"Well, I still have homework to do" said Sayuri and she got up "And I don't understand all the Japanese characters"

"Fine" said Jiang Li and she sighed.

Meanwhile, at the Minamoto residence, Satomi was trying to teach Kouji how to decorate a cake. The home economics' teacher, Mrs. Morita, had told them that they were going to bake a cake and decorate it. 

"I wonder why there's a home economics class at school" said Kouji very annoyed after he squeezed too hard and wound up with a shapeless glob of frosting for the tenth time.

"You're only practicing, you can try again" said Satomi "Squeeze it softer"

"I suck at this!" said Kouji exasperated after he failed again.

"Be patient" said Satomi and her husband came into the kitchen.

He raised an eyebrow after he noticed that there were a couple of bowls in the floor and there was milk spilled in the table. Then, he saw a mop near a chair and it was pretty dirty.

"How are you doing with the cake?" asked Kousei.

"He's still trying to decorate it" said Satomi with a kind smile.

"But at least he baked it, didn't he?" said Kousei.

"Well………" said Satomi, not very sure of her reply "I had to bake it because he tried but the kitchen ended being a mess"

"Nobody's perfect, Kouji" said Kousei.

"I know" replied the boy, he sounded annoyed. 

"What kind of cake are you going to bake?" asked Kousei.

"A custard cream cake" replied Kouji not very convinced.

"Well, your teacher will see that you tried" said Kousei sympathetically.

"Your dad is right" said Satomi and she sighed "I need you to buy some groceries: eggs, milk, sugar………"

"Fine" said Kouji, feeling relieved that he hadn't to keep decorating the cake in front of him.

He went to his bedroom for money because he wanted to see a shop of antique items and swords. After that, he left to buy the groceries.

Cakes. Of course he liked to taste cakes but he never thought that it was so difficult to bake them. His stepmother used to bake desserts like cookies and she knew a bit of cakes so he thought it would be easy to bake one. Whoever suggested a home economics class to the principal was probably drunk.

He walked down the street and that jerk, Taeko Nakajima, came to his mind. What would he say when he find out that his rival sucked at baking cakes? Well………maybe Nakajima also sucked at baking cakes but if he was an expert baker…….

Then, he thought in the Miyahara girl. Her mother was very good at cooking and she could give him some tips to bake a nice cake. The problem was that he didn't want to ask someone for help but then, an image of Nakajima laughing with his gang came to his mind. Hmmm………he'd think in something later………

He entered the grocery store and bought what his stepmother asked him to buy. She was a really patient and kind woman. She helped him with his cake and the first one looked decent but when they tasted it…….yuck! Something went wrong and it tasted horrible so after a few tries, Satomi decided to bake one without Kouji's help.

As he walked back home, he stopped to see a little shop. It had a wooden sign dangling from the post over the door and it seemed that there were rare items. He saw something that interested him through the glass window so he decided to enter.

There was a katana there, he'd always wanted to have a fine sword to decorate his room and to practice with it at home. The katana was really cool and he also liked its sheath. The Miyahara girl came to his mind again, she had called him 'blue-eyed samurai' last Friday, he wondered why. He didn't look like a samurai, did he?   

Anyways, he walked towards the sword but in his way to it, he saw a glass case displaying beautiful music boxes.

"Can I help you?" asked an old and friendly voice.

"Huh?" said Kouji and he turned to see an old woman about 60 years old "I was just wandering around"

"I see" said the woman "What are you looking for?"

"Well, I liked the katana over there" replied Kouji as he pointed to the katana he liked.

"That's a great katana and we have a discount on all the items" said the old woman.

"I see" said Kouji and he walked towards the glass case.

"You want to see the music boxes?" asked the old woman.

"Well…….can I see that one?" said Kouji as he pointed to a particular musical box.

"Of course" said the old woman and she handed Kouji the box "This one is really beautiful"

Kouji carefully received the musical box. It was a platinum box and he opened it with the key the seller gave him a few moments ago. A beautiful hand-blown glass lily was inside and a sweet melody started playing. 

"That melody is called 'Spring night love song' and it has a romantic story" said the old woman.

"A romantic story?" repeated Kouji and the seller nodded.

"It seems that in the 18th century, two lovers had to separate but the man didn't want his beloved one to suffer" said the old woman and she paused to adjust her glasses.

"And what happened?" asked Kouji, eager to know what happened.

"The man was a musician and he composed this beautiful melody for his beloved one night, at spring" said the woman.

"I see" said Kouji and he frowned "But were they separated?"

"Well, after he finished composing his melody, he played it for his girlfriend and he gave her the notes for that song because she was a musician too" said the old woman.

"He gave her the notes so she could play them at any moment and then, she'd remember him" said Kouji.

"Exactly, you're very smart" said the seller "He promised something before leaving"

_'As long as your heart can remember this melody, we'll always be together. Don't lose hope, I'll always be with you'_

"The lady had a beautiful voice and she composed a song for the melody" said the seller "She never forgot him and one day, her beloved one returned on one spring night"

"So that's why it's called 'Spring night love song', that's an interesting story" said Kouji.

"So, what do you say?" said the old woman "Do you want to buy it for someone special?"

"Well………not exactly" said Kouji as he receded nervously "I was curious and I………"

"Don't be shy, you could give it to a special girl for you" said the old woman "Your girlfriend for example"

"I don't have a girlfriend" said Kouji, trying to regain his seriousness.

"You should have one" said the seller.

"I like the melody and the music box to give it to a girl" said Kouji but he saw the seller's expression "But I didn't know that it had a love story"

"If she's a friend, you can still give it to her" said the old woman "If she ever goes to another place, she'll always remember you"

"Sayuri's not exactly my friend" said Kouji and the old woman laughed at his expression.

"Sayuri means small lily and as you can see, the music box has a beautiful lily inside" said the old woman.

"Yes……but she's not my girlfriend or something like that" said Kouji and he shrugged "Her birthday is soon and……"

"I'm sure that Sayuri won't be disappointed if you give such a beautiful gift to her" said the seller.

"But the melody and its story………" said the blue-eyed boy "What if she's listened to it?"

"I doubt it" said the old woman sadly "It's almost forgotten"

"Well, I don't know" said Kouji and he contemplated the music box "I'll buy it with the katana, but I'm only buying it because of her birthday"

"Sure" said the old woman half-sarcastically while examining the expression the boy had on his face.

Kouji paid for both things and he left hurriedly, carrying the groceries, the katana and the music box. The old woman watched him go and she began laughing. She forgot to tell him something important about the melody. 

The lonewolf was walking very fast, still wondering why he accepted to buy the music box. He wasn't even sure if he'd go to visit Sayuri on her birthday, maybe she didn't want company.

On the other hand, her mother had asked him to go so he had a pretext. But what if the girl recognized the song? She'd think that he fancied her or worse, she'd think that he was an over-romantic and mushy boy.

Finally, he arrived home and left the groceries on the kitchen. He took the katana and the music box to his bedroom and he placed them on his desk.

He then took his guitar and started playing it but he stopped when his gaze turned to the music box and the love story he had listened at the shop came to his mind.

"I hope that old lady had invented that story" he whispered and he placed the guitar near his bed. He opened his schoolbag and took out some notebooks, he still had homework to do.

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"Very good, I see that most of you have done a good job" said Mrs. Morita "Let's have a taste!"

"Do we have to?" whispered Kouji as he stared at his 'cake' or whatever was in front of him.

"Is something, Mr. Minamoto?" asked the teacher after she approached to him.

"No" replied Kouji after he heard some giggles coming from Nakajima.

"Well, let me taste it" said Mrs. Morita and she took a bite but her eyes widened in shock.

"What happened, professor?" asked Kouji after he saw the teacher's expression.

"It's hard and you used salt instead of sugar!" exclaimed Mrs. Morita as she cleaned herself with a handkerchief.

"Salt? I didn't use salt!" said Kouji and he turned to see Nakajima, then he understood what happened.

It was the gray-eyed boy who was delivering the sugar and the flour, he probably changed his sugar for salt and that was why his cake tasted even worse.

"Well, you can try again" said Mrs. Morita sympathetically "You tried and you can practice at home, I'll give you another chance"

"Thank you, professor" said Kouji not very convinced.

"I'll wait for you after classes tomorrow" said Mrs. Morita "Mr. Iwao also needs another chance"

After she said that, she left him to taste the other cakes. It seemed that Taeko Nakajima did a good job because the teacher congratulated him. Then, she tasted Megumi and Junko's cake, both of them baked a strawberry cake. The last one was Sayuri's, a chocolate cake with white rosettes.

"This one is really delicious" said Mrs. Morita happily "Excellent job, Miss Miyahara"

"Thank you" said the black-haired girl "May I go leave once the bell rings?

"Of course but please let me have a piece of your cake" replied Mrs. Morita and Sayuri nodded.

"Oh, boy….. and to think that Mrs. Morita is a nice person, she's going to be poisoned" said Taeko Nakajima and he pretended to sniff, causing his friends to laugh.

"You can say that again" said Keisuke and Kouji approached to them with a dark glare.

"You changed the sugar with salt, didn't you?" said the blue-eyed boy to Nakajima.

"And what if I did?" said Taeko and he smirked "You suck at this"

"Even Miyahara has talent for something so simple" said Musashi.

"Did I just hear what I think I heard? You're praising me?" asked a feminine voice and Musashi jumped in surprise.

"In fact, I was only telling Minamoto that he's worse than you" said Musashi.

"He tried, nobody's perfect" said Sayuri and she left.

"The 'Spooky Witch' scared me, I didn't expect that she would appear behind us" commented Keisuke.

"What do you think about the new nickname, Minamoto? I personally think it's more original" said Taeko.

"Why do you keep bugging her?" asked Kouji as he glared Taeko.

"We've told you: she's spooky and strange" said the gray-eyed boy "Besides, she always dares to defy us when we bully younger and weaker kids like you"

"And I suppose that she's always beaten you" said Kouji as matter-of-factly.

"Hmmm……….not always, we're six against a girl" said Musashi "But we have to admit that she's faster"

"And she always has a plan" added Keisuke.

"But believe me, she's paid for being so nosy" said Taeko and he smirked "We always hid her stuff at elementary school and she'd start crying"

"Yeah, her homework would disappear very often" said Takenori.

"And that's our story, hope you enjoyed" said Taeko sarcastically and he left with his gang because the bell rang.

"And what exactly happened with your cake, 'blue-eyed samurai'?" asked a voice.

"Why do you call me 'blue-eyed samurai'?" asked Kouji after he turned to see Sayuri.

"Have you seen Rurouni Kenshin's movie?" said Sayuri and Kouji nodded "Well, you remind me of one samurai named Shigeru or something like that. He also had long hair tied into a ponytail and strands of hair falling near his cheeks"

"Thank you for the explanation but I still prefer 'lonewolf'" said Kouji.

"But I prefer Mr. Bandana" said Sayuri and she took a bite of her cake.

"Do as you wish, I don't care" said Kouji.

"Don't steal my lines" said Sayuri.

"I wouldn't" said Kouji.

"By the way, would you like a piece of my cake?" asked Sayuri casually.

"Why not?" said Kouji and he approached to take a piece of chocolate cake.

"So, what do you think?" said Sayuri after Kouji took a bite of her cake.

"It's really delicious" replied Kouji.

"And what went wrong with your cake?" asked Sayuri as she watched Kouji eating the piece of cake.

"It's hard and salty" said Kouji after a few moments.

"You probably stirred too much after you added the flour" said Sayuri and she frowned "But I think that Nakajima probably changed your sugar for salt, he was delivering the flour and the sugar"

"You figured out that all by yourself? You're sharp" said Kouji and he took another bite of the piece of cake.

"Well, you wouldn't go with him for a piece of cake or tips, would you?" said Sayuri.

"Of course not, I'd rather die" said Kouji.

"I'm used to his tricks, that's why I took the sugar before he started delivering it" said Sayuri.

"Well, I have to go" said Kouji "I need another afternoon of practice and to buy more flour, sugar, eggs……….."

"Another afternoon of practice?" said Sayuri and Kouji nodded "Good luck"

"Thanks, I'll need it" said Kouji and he took his schoolbag, home economics was their last class.

"You're welcome" said Sayuri and she observed the lonewolf's cake. 

Kouji finally left, the boy really needed help with bakery. Sayuri went to taste his cake but she soon regretted it like the home economics teacher. The cake was really hard and it tasted horrible.

Then, she took her cake and her schoolbag, she wasn't going to stay at school. She wondered about her birthday cake as she was walking through school, she'd prefer a chocolate cake than a strawberry. But what if the lonewolf preferred a strawberry cake? 

Wait! Why was she thinking of him? It was her birthday after all, not his. Besides, he probably wouldn't go but then, she remembered that he stayed with her for dinner last Thursday. 

_In any case, I think he really liked my cake and mom is a great baker_ _she thought _as she made her way home, she caught a glimpse of the long-haired boy.

His ponytail was really funny and cute, she wanted to play with it. She smirked when she remembered his face when she called him Mr. Bandana for the first time, it really annoyed him to be called like that.

_I almost feel bad for him, he really needs helps with bakery she thought_ and she saw Kouji going in another direction, probably to a grocery store.

She soon arrived to the shrine and she entered her house. Jiang Li asked about her cake after the 'small lily' entered the house and put her schoolbag on the floor.

"I did a good job" said Sayuri "The professor congratulated me"

"I'm glad" said Jiang Li "What kind of cake did Kouji bake?"

"Well, he tried to bake a custard cream cake but it tasted horrible" said Sayuri "It was hard and he used salt instead of sugar"

"Poor boy" said Jiang Li and she smiled after realizing something "So you tasted his cake?"

"Ah………well, yes" said Sayuri and she put her cake on the table "I was curious and I tasted it after he left"

"Oh" said Jiang Li and she smiled "Well, you must be starving"

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"Why did you bring all that bags?" asked Satomi after Kouji arrived home.

"I need to practice again" said Kouji not very happy.

"Again?" repeated his stepmother with an glance of incredulity.

"Yeah………again" said Kouji and took the bags to the kitchen.

After he ate, he started his homework because he really didn't want to bake a cake and decorate it. That was really frustrating and he was not very patient.

Once he finished his homework, he went to the kitchen and sighed. It was going to be a **_long_** afternoon. 

Meanwhile, Sayuri was almost done with her homework. At least she didn't need a dictionary for her Math homework, she only had to write one number more to finish it. Then, her mother knocked at the door.

"Come in" said Sayuri and her mother opened the door.

"I hope you're done with your homework" said Jiang Li and Sayuri nodded "Kouji has just phoned and he asked me if you could help him with his cake"

"He wants me to help him? But I……." said Sayuri.

"Why don't you give him some tips? I'm sure that he needs them" said Jiang Li and she quickly added "He sounded so desperate"

"Fine. I'll do what I can" said Sayuri, her mother sounded sincere.

"I'm glad. The poor boy must be really distressed after he failed with his second cake" said Jiang Li.

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Sayuri rang the bell and a brown-haired woman opened the door. She introduced herself as Satomi Minamoto after Sayuri explained that she came to help Kouji.

"You're going to help him? You must be really patient" warned Satomi.

"Well………" said Sayuri and she came into the house.

Suddenly, she heard a crash from what she deduced was the kitchen and Satomi took her where Kouji was. Both sweatdropped after seeing the mess: there were broken eggs, flour scattered around the flour, milk spilled on the floor and there were at least three…….cakes?…….or at least what seemed cakes on a small table. 

"You made all this mess by yourself?" asked finally Sayuri with incredulity and Kouji turned to see her with surprise.

"You should have been here yesterday" said Satomi and she slowly left the kitchen, not wanting to see the mess in her once spotless kitchen.

"I'll clean this later" said Kouji "What are you doing here?"

"You phoned me" said Sayuri.

"What? I never phoned you. I only know your address" said Kouji and Sayuri understood what had happened.

Her mother……of course. How did she fall for her trick? She was so gullible, Kouji didn't even know her number. She wanted to hit her head with the wall but she wouldn't, at least not in the lonewolf's presence. Well, she was already there and she'd have to help him.

"I came to help you with your cake" said Sayuri.

"I'm a klutz with this" said Kouji "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure" said Sayuri as she thought why her mother insisted in a friendship between her and Kouji.

"You'll need lots of patience" said Kouji.

"First, we'll need to clean this mess" said Sayuri.

"I know" said Kouji and he took a mop.

"But we have to sweep first" said Sayuri and she took a broom that was near her.

"Right" said Kouji, feeling embarrassed.

After they ended cleaning the mess, Sayuri took some ingredients for the cake. She sighed and started explaining Kouji about bakery.

"Stir softer or you'll have to start over" said the black-haired girl.

"Okay" said Kouji and he followed all her instructions until a decent cake was baked.

"We only need to decorate it after it cools down a bit" said Sayuri and Kouji rolled his eyes "I'll help you"

"Thank you" said Kouji and they waited a few minutes.

Sayuri took the frosting and she started decorating a part of the cake while Kouji watched. She was really good at baking and decorating cakes.

"It's your turn" she announced and Kouji kept himself from groaning.

"I hate that part" he muttered.

He squeezed the tube softly but nothing came from it, then, he squeezed it harder and nothing…….He finally squeezed it very hard and a big mass of frost came out, covering his hand with the sweet substance.

"You're hopeless" said Sayuri emotionlessly and Kouji glared her but the girl returned the glare.

"At least I don't have two left feet" said Kouji and he smirked.

"But I know about cleaning a house" said Sayuri and she took out her fan.

"But I'm not childish" said Kouji and he cleaned his hand.

"Imagine that the frost is a toothpaste" said Sayuri.

"Fine" said Kouji and he managed to do a rosette.

"Good job" said Sayuri "Continue decorating"

"I only hope that it tastes better than the last one" said Kouji as he succeeded in doing another rosette.

"It will, don't worry" said Sayuri.

"I'm done" said Kouji after some minutes.

"Let's have a taste" said Sayuri and she bit a piece of cake after slicing it in small pieces.

"Does it tastes horrible?" asked Kouji expectantly.

"It's fine, you can taste it" said Sayuri and Kouji tasted his cake. It wasn't as delicious as the chocolate cake Sayuri baked at school but it wasn't bad. He sighed in relief.

"Remember not to stir too much after adding the flour and think that the frost is a toothpaste" said Sayuri.

"Yes, thank you a lot" said Kouji and he took out his apron.

"The kitchen is clean" said Sayuri and she shrugged "I'm going home"

"Did you manage to bake a cake, Kouji?" asked his father, once he entered to the kitchen "Oh, hi"

"Good evening" said Sayuri.

"She is Sayuri Miyahara" said Kouji and he turned to Sayuri "He's my father, Kousei Minamoto"

"Nice to meet you, sir" said Sayuri.

"Nice to meet you too" replied Kousei and he saw the cake "It looks fine"

"And it doesn't tastes bad" said Kouji and his father took a bit of his cake.

"Yeah, you _have_ improved" said Kousei Minamoto.

"I'm going to walk her home, I'll return later" said Kouji but Sayuri shook her head.

"I can take care of myself" she said.

"It's the least I can do" said Kouji.

"Well, I hope to see you again and thanks for helping my son" said Mr. Minamoto.

"You're welcome" replied Sayuri and she frowned "I forgot to say goodbye to your wife"

"Don't worry, she went to visit a friend" replied Kousei and the teenagers finally left the kitchen.

"You're not cold?" asked Kouji as they made their way to Sayuri's home, it was a chilly evening.

"I'll be fine" replied Sayuri.

"You'll catch a cold" said Kouji and he offered his jacket.

"If I accept it, you'll be the one who will catch a cold" said Sayuri.

"I have my bandana" said Kouji and Sayuri sighed in defeat before taking his jacket.

"You look strange without your jacket" said the black-haired girl once she was wearing the dark blue jacket.

"Don't make fun of me" said Kouji and he frowned because Sayuri shivered "I should have bought you a sweater instead of the music box"

"You bought me a music box?" asked Sayuri and Kouji regretted what he said.

"I don't know what you're talking about" said the blue-eyed boy.

"I'm not deaf, lonewolf" said Sayuri.

"Fine" said Kouji "I'm going to give you a music box for your birthday"

"Thank you" said Sayuri and they arrived to the shrine.

"Keep my jacket, you'll give it to me tomorrow" said Kouji.

"But I'm home" said Sayuri.

"Keep it" insisted Kouji.

"If you catch a cold, you won't be able to bake a nice cake" said Sayuri and her words hit Kouji.

"You're right" he said.

"Come with me" said Sayuri and they entered her house.

"Good evening" greeted Jiang Li.

"Good evening" greeted back the teenagers.

"I told you that you should have taken a coat or a sweater" said Jiang Li.

"I know" said Sayuri and she gave back the jacket to Kouji "Thanks again"

"You're welcome" said Kouji and he put on his jacket.

"Do you want to stay for dinner?" asked Jiang Li.

"Not today but I'll come for Sayuri's birthday" said Kouji and Jiang Li smiled.

"Really?" said Jiang Li and Kouji nodded "You can come after 5 p.m. because I'll bake the cake"

"That's fine with me" said Kouji "I have to go"

"Goodbye and good luck with your cake" said Jiang Li and she gave Sayuri a sweater.

"Thank you" said Kouji "Goodbye"

"I'm going with you" said Sayuri and she accompanied him to the entrance of the shrine.

"You're a great baker" said Kouji "I'm glad you went to my house"

"Yeah but………" said Sayuri and she hesitated "My mother………I'll see you tomorrow"

"See you" said Kouji and he turned to leave.

Sayuri watched him walking until he was out of sight and she wondered about the music box he mentioned earlier, when they were walking. Then, she remembered his jacket, it was really warm and soft……….No wonder he was always wearing it.

It was a chilly evening but she was in a good mood: the sorcerer hadn't bothered her for a while, maybe he was getting tired or something. Besides, the bandana boy was an interesting person to talk with and he was considerate even if he would tease her about being childish………..and he had that cute ponytail. 

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Hi! Hope you enjoyed this chapter =) Please review so I can know what you think about my story. I accept constructive criticism but I do hate flames. Well, I'm not sure what'll be the topic of the fourth chapter but I'll write about Sayuri's birthday and I think that I'll add some drama. 

About Kouichi, he'll come in the story later, that's why Jiang Li is currently playing as matchmaker in my story. Another thing, could please suggest me ideas to change the summary? I'd really thank you that.

See you soon!

Kara: Thanks a lot for reviewing last chapter. I'm glad that you still like it and I must tell you something: when I started writing the second chapter, I wasn't planning to make it fluffy. Sometimes, I write without realizing if a chapter is sweet or sad, I just write it. I hope you enjoyed this chapter too and please continue reviewing. =D

Evil One1: Thank you for reviewing again! Thankies for your compliments, hope I didn't disappoint you with this chapter. About the cow…….I'd prefer a horse ^_- I'm joking! (Or at least I'm trying to) I hope you review again, see you! =)

Kana: Thank you for reviewing, I hope you continue reading my story and I'm glad to know that there are more people who like Kouji/OC stories.

~~~Li Kasumi


	4. The girl he can't ignore

**THE LONEWOLF MEETS HIS MATCH**

By Li Kasumi

Disclaimer: Hi! I do not own Digimon nor its characters. I hope you review this story so I can know what you think of it and I apologize if my grammar is not good. Read, enjoy and review.

Note: I think this chapter is a bit dramatic but it was necessary. But it still have sweet things. 

Kawaii means cute 

I don't own the song "Ki Ni Naru Aitsu", it belongs to its singer, to CCS or whoever owns it.

_Italics_--thoughts

Summary: AU fanfic. Loneliness is her one friend while living in shadows. Sayuri is a mysterious girl who deals with a curse that has haunted her family for years………..but what would happen if someone like Kouji Minamoto gets intrigued by her? 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Autumn. The season of changes and renewal. With soft breezes, dry leaves and colored trees, autumn is one of the strangest seasons…………Sunsets. Golden sunsets are what make autumn a beautiful and picturesque season.

A long-haired boy was walking home with a white cake. He was happy that he succeeded in baking a decent cake and he improved his culinary skills. But still, there was no way he'd start liking the home economics class. 

Finally, he arrived to a big house and opened the door. His father was already there and it seemed that he was arguing with his stepmother.

"Satomi, I can't tell K-……" said a man and he stopped talking when he saw his son "Kouji…….you've finally arrived"

"Why are you two arguing?" asked the teenager.

"No, we're not arguing" said Kousei Minamoto "Your mother only misunderstood something"

"Y-Yes, Kouji. Your dad is right" said Satomi nervously and she managed to smile "Could you bake a nice cake?"

"Yes. This one tastes better than the one I baked yesterday" said Kouji.

"I cooked something really delicious" said Satomi "Let's eat"

"That's a good idea" said Kousei quickly.

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

Thursday arrived and a teenager with sapphire blue eyes was walking through the school's hall with a book. Mr. Kumazawa had asked everyone to choose a book and make a report about it in class because exams were going to start the next week. Even if Literature wasn't his favorite subject, it was way better than Geography and Home Economics.

He arrived to the classroom and slid the door. Unexpectedly, a black-haired girl was already sat behind his seat. She looked bored and she had a huge book beside her.

"Why are you here so early?" said Kouji once he approached to her.

"Isn't it obvious? I didn't have something to do at home" said Sayuri.

"Why do you always ask something when I start a talk with you?" asked Kouji.

"Dunno" replied Sayuri emotionlessly "Maybe it's because I like to"

"You have cuts in your face" said Kouji and he also noticed some bruises on her arms.

"It's nothing" the girl quickly said and she immediately hid her arms.

"Good morning, Minamoto" said a voice behind them.

"Good morning, Sugiyama" replied Kouji after turning to see Megumi.

"Call me, Megumi" said the brunette flirtingly.

"I don't want to" said Kouji.

"Why not? Anyways, I wanted to ask you something" said Megumi.

"What?" asked Kouji.

"Would you like to go to see a movie with me this Saturday?" asked Megumi.

"I have something else to do" replied Kouji.

"I see……..you probably have to study, you're very responsible" said Megumi but the blue-eyed boy shook his head.

"No, her birthday is this Saturday" said Kouji as he pointed to Sayuri, who raised an eyebrow.

"It's Miyahara's birthday? I didn't know that" said Megumi and she smirked "I didn't know that you were sympathetic and kind with freaks"

"Yes, he's very kind" said Sayuri once she got up to face Megumi "Do you have to say something else?"

"Yes" said Megumi defiantly "Minamoto, stop feeling pity for freaks like this one"

"She's not a freak" said Kouji harshly "And if you don't mind, I was talking with her about something very important"

That was a slap for the brunette girl, who wasn't used to be ignored and less for a social outcast like Sayuri. What does a freak like Miyahara have that interests Kouji Minamoto? 

"Fine" said Megumi and she walked towards Junko.

"Do you know what you've just done?" said Sayuri "Sugiyama is very popular and you've turned her down"

"I don't care" said Kouji.

"If you befriend her, you could stop being a loner and have loads of friends" said Sayuri.

"But I don't want to befriend someone like her" said Kouji "Now, where were we before she came?"

"You were asking me why I always ask something when I tell you something" replied Sayuri.

The long-haired boy eyed her with a distrusting glance and he sighed. It seemed that Sayuri didn't want to talk about the cuts and bruises she had. 

"Let's make a bet" said Kouji "If I win, you will never call me Mr. Bandana……if you win…."

"If I win, I'll be free to call you Mr. Bandana or Bandana boy whenever I want" stated Sayuri.

"That's fine with me" said Kouji "You'll win if you don't start a question with the next conversation we start"

"It's a deal" said Sayuri and she shook hands with Kouji "And know, I have to look for words in my dictionary"

"Why?" asked Kouji.

"I have problems with the kanji characters" replied Sayuri and she opened the huge book beside her.

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

Sayuri avoided Kouji in all the classes and she didn't even go to the 'small forest' in lunchtime. She stayed at the classroom, looking for words and she ate her lunch there. However, she wouldn't be able to avoid him at the last class, the self-defense club.

"Miyahara, I'd like you to battle with Minamoto" said sensei Ikeda and Sayuri flinched while Kouji smirked.

"That's fine with me" said the hazel-eyed girl.

"Minamoto?" said Mr. Ikeda.

"I don't know" said Kouji because he remembered that Sayuri had bruises.

"Chicken!" yelled Nakajima.

"Nakajima, don't make fun of Minamoto" reprimanded the sensei.

"I've changed my mind, I'll fight her" said Kouji.

"I'll be cheering you, Minamoto! Good luck!" yelled Megumi and Kouji rolled his eyes.

"He'll need it" said Sayuri.

_She didn't ask something? Why do I have the strange feeling that I'll lose the bet? thought Kouji._

"Good luck" he said to Sayuri and he waited for her reply.

"I hope you're ready" said Sayuri and she smirked "Because you've just lost the bet"

"Rats" whispered the blue-eyed boy.

Mr. Ikeda gave them the poles and the combat soon started. They tried to hit the other, sometimes Kouji succeeded and others, it was Sayuri who managed to hit him. 

After some minutes, the boy succeeded in hitting her with the pole and she loosened her grip on her pole. She kept fighting but Kouji spun the pole and it seemed that he was going to hit her with it. Unexpectedly, he bent, making her stumble and falling to the floor. Then, Kouji offered his hand to Sayuri. 

"That was great, Minamoto!" cheered Megumi but the boy ignored her.

"Get up" said Kouji because the girl was still on the floor.

"Well, at least I won the bet, _Mr. Bandana_" said Sayuri and Taeko Nakajima laughed very hard.

"How did you call him? Mr. Bandana?" said Keisuke and began laughing with his other friends.

"Boys, behave" said Mr. Ikeda loudly.

"I'm sorry, Minamoto" said Sayuri because Taeko was giggling softly.

"Thank you, Miyahara" said Kouji sarcastically and he put away his bandana. 

"Very good" said the sensei "Yoshioka, you'll fight with Fujikami"

"Fine" replied Keisuke and he got up.

Meanwhile, Kouji went to the corner of the room. He wasn't interested in Keisuke's fight, it didn't matter who'd win, he'd have to fight the winner. But before that, Sayuri would have to fight the loser.

In that moment, he was angry at the black-haired girl. Taeko Nakajima was probably going to begin calling him Mr. Bandana and he wouldn't stop until Kouji beat him. But if he did that, he'd be in detention and he'd have to write three pages of plains because Nakajima would tell his uncle that the 'rebellious' boy had bullied him.

Keisuke soon beat Michihiko Fujikami and it was Sayuri's turn to fight. Sensei Ikeda let Michihiko rest a few minutes and then, his battle with Sayuri began.

Sayuri easily won and it was Kouji's turn to fight with Keisuke. Even if Keisuke had been defeated by Sayuri before, he wasn't someone whom Kouji could underestimate. Anyways, Kouji took advantage of Keisuke's slowness and he was able to win after some minutes.

"Great battle, you two. Congratulations, Minamoto" said the sensei "Remember that the schedule has changed so we'll have classes Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Time is over. Class dismissed"

"Goodbye"  "See you"  "See you, sensei"

"Wait, Minamoto!" called Sayuri because Kouji was already leaving.

"What is it?" said the boy after he stopped walking.

"I wanted t-"said Sayuri but Megumi interrupted her.

"You're so strong and fast! Would you like to practice someday with me?" she said after pushing Sayuri.

"I don't think so" replied Kouji and he walked past them.

"Stay away from him, freak" said Megumi "He's not for someone like you"

"And I suppose that he's for someone like you" said Sayuri icily.

"Exactly" said Megumi "Besides, who'd like you? You often get bruises and cuts"

"That's my problem" said Sayuri and she glared Megumi.

"You don't scare me, Spooky Witch" said the brunette and she slapped Sayuri's shoulder.

"You dare to touch me again and you're dead" said Sayuri threateningly and she walked past Megumi.

_Stupid Sugiyama. My shoulder already ached me because of the bruises and her slap made it worse_ thought Sayuri but she started walking faster because she wanted to talk with the lonewolf.

Fortunately, he hadn't left school. He was slowly making his way to the school's gate. There wasn't a reason for him to hurry home, he had few homework and he wasn't starving.

"Hey! Wait!" yelled Sayuri as soon as she spotted him.

"It's her" muttered Kouji after recognizing Sayuri's voice and he stopped walking. 

The small lily started getting closer but she suddenly felt very tired and it mean that she was going to fall asleep. What did the sorcerer have in mind this time?

The lonewolf frowned. A few seconds ago, the hazel-eyed girl was walking normally but now, she was stumbling and it seemed that she could barely walk. In the blink of an eye, she fell to the floor, her body hitting the cold asphalt.

"Sayuri!" yelled Kouji and he ran towards her.

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

Sayuri found herself on a bed, covered by white blankets. She was not in her room and she couldn't recognize the place. A few moments ago, she felt very tired and she remembered that she was at school.

"Sayuri….." started Kouji quietly "………your mom………I took you to the shrine but………."

"But?" said the girl.

"There were many policemen and I saw your mother covered in blood……..a thief entered in your house and he shot her" said Kouji.

"What? No, that's impossible! You're lying!" yelled Sayuri and she got up quickly.

"Wait!" yelled Kouji as Sayuri ran.

The shrine was near, she could sense it. And then, she saw her mother. It was like if time had stopped. The sky, once blue, turned black. Her beautiful mother was lying on the floor, her clothes ruined with her own blood.

"Mom! Mom!" yelled Sayuri as she knelt beside her. 

She began crying and hitting the floor with her fist. First, her father left her and now, her mother was gone. She was alone in the world.

It began raining and the cold water wet Sayuri but she didn't care. All she wanted was to see her mother smiling again. The wind blew in her pale face and she hugged her mother, her once cheerful and caring mother.

Suddenly, her mother's corpse transformed into a horrible skeleton that grabbed Sayuri and began choking her, while laughing maniacally.

"Let me go!" demanded Sayuri and the images started vanishing. The scenery changed, she was on the floor and someone was shaking her.

"Sayuri, what happened to you?" asked a gentle voice but there was concern in it.

"You?" said Sayuri.

"Yes, it's me. Mr. Bandana, Bandana Boy, lonewolf……" said Kouji "I don't care how you call me"

"My mother? Where's my mother?" demanded Sayuri.

"At the shrine, I suppose" said Kouji "Are you okay?"

"Yes, yes" said Sayuri and she immediately got up with Kouji's help "I'll see you tomorrow"

"That scratches suddenly appeared while you were unconscious" said Kouji.

"What scratches?" asked Sayuri.

"The ones you have on your neck" replied Kouji and Sayuri touched her neck, there was fresh blood on it.

"I've gotta go" said Sayuri but Kouji caught her hand.

"I'll walk you home" he said.

"If you don't mind, I'm in a hurry" said the hazel-eyed girl and she started walking even if she was stumbling.

"Catch it" said Kouji and he threw his jacket at her "You were shivering"

"Thanks" said Sayuri and she put on his jacket.

Then, she started making her way home. She had to confirm that her mother was safe and sound. That sorcerer, he really had a bad sense of humor and he had gone too far this time.

Meanwhile, Kouji enjoyed the breeze as he walked not so far from her. He had told her that she could call him Mr. Bandana or however she wanted.

_Doko made mo tsuzuku aoi sora massugu miagete                   **This can't go on forever. I look up at the blue sky**_

_Fukinukeru kaze wo suikonde saka wo kakete 'ku                    **The wind that blows over everything runs up the hills**_

_Itsu mo yori maji na hyoujou wo tooku kara nirami-nagara           **My usually serious face watches you from far away** _

_Nande darou Wake mo naku iji ni natte shimau                         **What has happened to my pride?**_

Why did scratches appear on her neck when she was unconscious? He also remembered the expression Sayuri had on her face. The poor girl looked frightened and a few tears rolled down her cheek as she shivered.

_Ki ni naru aitsu Fushigi na aitsu                                                **That girl I can't ignore, that mysterious girl**__Koko de jitto shite irarenai                                                        **I'll just watch quietly from here**               __Magarikado de wa Sou Nani ka okorisou de kakedasu yo           **It seems that something big waits around the corner**_

Sayuri looked very weak when she was unconscious and he wasn't used to see her like that. He didn't want to admit it, but he did his best to beat her at the self-defense club and his arm ached a bit because of the hits he received from her. He really didn't want to fight her because he'd hurt her but the jerk made fun of him, he had no choice but to fight for his pride. 

When he started fighting, he didn't underestimate Sayuri because she had proven to be a worthy opponent if she defeated Nakajima. She fought with a passion that few people could show in a combat.

_Ki ni naru yokan Fushigi na yokan_                                           **_That feeling I can't ignore, that mysterious feeling_**

_Yume de mita you na munasawagi                                           **My heart beats like in a dream**__Yokan dekinai mainichi massugu mitsumete                            **It seems that every day it gets stronger**__Aitsu ni makenai yo                                                               **I won't be beaten by her**_His house was near but he wouldn't go there yet. He had to make sure that she'd return to the shrine or he would be worried all afternoon. His family wouldn't worry for him, his father was still at his office and his stepmother was used to his unpunctuality. Even if autumn was chilly, this afternoon wasn't very cold, there was only a gentle breeze blowing around the city and he was enjoying it. _Orenji no kumo wo oikakete anna ni isoide                               **I chase the orange clouds so hurriedly**__Omoikiri nanka ni tsumazuite hade ni koronda                         **With all my strength I trip over something, falling on my hands**__Itsu datte aitsu no koto nante kankee nanka nai n' da kara      **When did she start to mean so much to me? I don't know why**__Asufaruto ketobashite kaerimichi wo isogu                             **Fly over the asphalt and hurry home**_

Sayuri leaned against a wall and then, she continued walking slowly. Kouji noticed this and he caught up with her to check if she was okay.

_Ki ni naru aitsu Fushigi na aitsu                                            **That girl I can't ignore, that mysterious girl**_

_Kyou mo yokome de chekku shite                                        _**_I can't look away from her eyes today_**

_Shiranai uchi ni Sou Naze ka aitsu no peesu hamatte 'ru        _**_Why am I matching my pace to hers as we walk down the street?_**__

Why was he doing this? He'd never worried for someone but the small lily was too different from other people. There was something in her that made her a special and interesting person. Or maybe, it was just that she was similar to him in many ways. 

It didn't matter, he felt like a protective instinct towards her, he didn't want to see her get hurt.  Did he care for her? It sounded so…….irrational…….she wasn't part of his family. 

Before he met her, he only cared for martial arts, for being a warrior and as a real warrior, he shouldn't show emotions. So, how could she easily make him lose his calm?

_Ki ni naru yokan Fushigi na yokan                                         **That feeling I can't ignore, that mysterious feeling**_

_Nani ka hajimaru munasawagi                                               **Something made my heart start beating**_

_Donna toki demo yuzurenai risou ga aru kara                         **But I have an idea! I won't give up whatever happens**_

_Dare ni mo makenai yo                                                        **I won't be beaten by anyone**_

Besides, she was an enigma. A mystery that wanted to be solved. He felt that there was something that tormented her but he had no idea of what that could be. But still, he wanted to know more about her. At the beginning, he was curious but he soon got interested in that girl. What was the secret that she couldn't tell? What did she hide from the world?

_Ki ni naru aitsu Fushigi na aitsu                                              **That girl I can't ignore, that mysterious girl**_

_Koko de jitto irarenai                                                              **You wouldn't stay here patiently within your heart**_

_Sono mune no oku Sou Himeta honto no chikara shiritakute     **You want to know the true power that's been kept secret**_

Well, he'd try to solve that mystery. It didn't matter what he'd have to do in order to solve it, he would never accept defeat. Something in both his heart and mind told him that Sayuri and him had been fated to meet. 

_Ki ni naru yokan Fushigi na yokan                                           **That feeling I can't ignore, that mysterious feeling**_

****

_Marude mirai wa meiro da ne                                                   **It's like our future's a labyrinth, isn't it?**_

_Yume wo shikkari kono te ni tsukameru toki made                  **Grasping my dreams tightly**_

_Jibun ni makenai yo                                                              **I won't ever give up on myself**_

~*~*~*~*~**********~*~*~*~*~

"Mom!" yelled Sayuri once she spotted her mother.

"Sayuri, I'm glad you're home" said Jiang Li and she grinned.

The small lily felt relieved when she saw her mother smiling. And like a little child who's happy to see her mother, she ran towards her, not caring that her whole body was aching. 

Jiang Li was very surprised to see her daughter running towards her. Sayuri let her schoolbag fall to the ground and she hugged her mother tightly. She was so worried for her that she couldn't keep herself from crying. Soon, tears were rolling by her pale cheeks.

"What's wrong?" asked Jiang Li softly as she hugged her daughter back.

"I had a nightmare……..you were dead and covered in blood" said the girl between sobs.

"I'm fine" said Jiang Li "Did you get hurt?"

"I have a few scratches" said Sayuri.

"I told you that your mother was probably at the shrine" said a voice.

"Hi" greeted Jiang Li.

"Hi" replied Kouji and he approached to them.

"Thank you for walking her home" said Jiang Li.

"You're welcome" said Kouji and he sighed "Sayuri, please stop crying. Everything's fine"

"He's right, my small lily" said Jiang Li and Sayuri stopped hugging her.

"Your jacket" said Sayuri and she gave the jacket back to him "Thank you a lot"

"See you tomorrow" said Kouji to her after receiving his jacket "Goodbye, ma'am"

"Goodbye" said Jiang Li and she waved at him.

~*~*~*~*~**********~*~*~*~*~

Finally, Saturday arrived after an uneventfully Friday. There was a fresh breeze, a clear sky, and a shining sun on that afternoon even if November was dying.

"Here" said Jiang Li as she gave her daughter something.

"This is………a cheongsam" said Sayuri and she took a look at it.

"I bought it at Hong Kong before we returned to Japan" explained Jiang Li "You're sixteen today"

"Thank you, mom" said Sayuri and she unfolded the cheongsam "It reminds me of the one I wear at the ball"

"Yes but this one is azure, not light blue. And it has navy blue stripes down its sleeves" said Jiang Li.

"Yes, you're right" said Sayuri "And it has pale blue blossoms"

"Now, change your clothes" said Jiang Li and she smiled "Because certain boy is going to come"

"I know" replied the hazel-eyed girl and she shook her head "But what if………."

"He'll come" said Jiang Li and she opened a small box "I also bought this hair clip. You'll look wonderful"

"A lily" said Sayuri because the hair clip had a white lily.

"Yes" said Jiang Li and she started combing her daughter's hair.

Meanwhile, a boy with blue sapphire eyes was examining the music box he had bought days before. He needed to wrap it before going to its future owner's house. But what kind of wrapper would he choose for it?

"What are you doing with that?" asked Satomi as soon as she spotted his stepson.

"With what?" said Kouji.

"With that music box" said Satomi.

"Ah……..with this……" said Kouji "It's a gift for…….someone"

"You're going to a party?" asked Satomi with a smile.

"No" said Kouji.

"I don't understand" said Satomi.

"It's for the girl that came last Tuesday" said Kouji "Today is her birthday"

"I see" said Satomi "But you need to wrap it"

"I know" said Kouji.

"Do you have a box for it?" asked Satomi and Kouji nodded "Well, give it to me and I'll wrap it"

"Thank you" said Kouji.

"You're welcome" said Satomi "Besides, that girl really helped you with your cake"

"Yeah……." said Kouji and he gave the music box to his stepmother.

~*~*~*~*~**********~*~*~*~*~

"The cake is ready" said Jiang Li.

"Thank you, mom" said Sayuri.

"You look really cute" said Jiang Li "I'm glad I bought that hair clip"

"Yes, thanks" said Sayuri. 

"We only have to wait for that boy" said Jiang Li and she looked at a clock on the wall "It's 5:25"

They only had to wait a few minutes. A knock on the door was heard and Jiang Li went to open it. Like she supposed, it was the long-haired teenager.

"Good afternoon, ma'am" greeted Kouji.

"Good afternoon" greeted back Jiang Li "I'm glad you came"

"And where's Sayuri?" asked Kouji as he entered the house.

"I'm over here" said the girl.

"Hi" said Kouji and he walked towards her with a small box "Hmm………Happy birthday"

"Thank you" said Sayuri and she received the wrapped box.

"Your hair………" murmured Kouji and he took a closer look.

"Well……….." said Sayuri.

"Why don't you go with your hair loosened to school?" said Kouji and he gave her a small grin "You know, you look kinda cute"

"That's a good idea" said Jiang Li quickly because her daughter was speechless.

"Why don't you open it? You already know what's inside" said Kouji and Sayuri nodded with uncertainty.

The small lily began unwrapping the gift and she opened the box. There was a platinum music box with a small key, the girl opened it and the sweet melody started playing.

"Kawaii!" exclaimed Jiang Li and she got closer to see the platinum box. 

"A lily……. It's really beautiful" said Sayuri and she glanced at Kouji "Thank you"

"You're welcome" said the boy.

Suddenly, the phone rang and Jiang Li went to answer it. It was her father and he was calling from Hong Kong. He had called to congratulate his youngest granddaughter.

"Sayuri, your grandpa wants to talk with you" said Jiang Li and Sayuri approached to take the phone.

"Happy birthday" said a voice belonging to an old man.

"Thank you, grandfather. How are you?" said Sayuri.

"I'm fine" replied his grandfather "Your grandma also wants to talk with you"

"M-My grandmother?" repeated Sayuri and she frowned.

"Yes, your grandmother" confirmed the old man and Sayuri heard a new voice.

"Good afternoon" said the voice belonging to her grandmother.

"Good afternoon, madam" replied Sayuri self-confidently.

"I wish you a happy birthday" said her grandmother "Are you going to come back to Hong Kong on December?"

"I don't know, madam" replied Sayuri and she added quickly "Thank you for calling"

"Well, I had to. Now, let me talk with your mother" said her grandmother.

"Yes, madam" said Sayuri and she gave the phone to Jiang Li.

"Mother, it's nice to………" said Jiang Li and she rolled her eyes, which surprised the lonewolf.

"Jiang Li, when are you going to return?" interrupted Wen Tang, her mother.

"I think that we'll visit you on December" said Jiang Li.

"I don't know why you keep returning to Japan" said Wen "I listen music……a melody……."

"It comes  from a music box that a boy gave to Sayuri" said Jiang Li.

"A boy? Who? Sayuri doesn't have friends" said Wen Tang.

"A boy she met at school. He's here for her birthday and he brought the music box for her" explained Jiang Li.

"That melody is familiar. I think I've listened to it before" said Wen Tang.

"I see. Xia He also wants to talk with you" said Wen.

"Hi, sister" said a younger voice.

"Hi, Xia He" said Jiang Li "Hold on. I must do something"

"Sure" said Xia He and Jiang Li tapped Sayuri on the shoulder.

"Psst. Come here" whispered Jiang Li "Go with him to the backside of the shrine while I talk with your aunt"

"Yes" replied Sayuri quietly and she took Kouji to the sacred tree.

The girl sighed in relief. She didn't want to talk with her aunt nor her grandmother, they made her sick. Wen Tang was her least favorite relative. She was always trying to manipulate her daughters: Xia He and Jiang Li. Fortunately, her mother wasn't as weak as her aunt.

"Is something wrong?" asked Kouji.

"I almost have to talk with my aunt" replied Sayuri.

"You don't like her?" said Kouji.

"No. But she is more likeable than my grandmother" said Sayuri.

"Well, cheer up" said Kouji "It's your birthday after all"

"You're right" replied Sayuri and she glanced at him shyly "Y-You called me by my first name last Thursday"

"Well, I didn't want to call you by your family name" said Kouji "Does that bother you?"

"No" said the black-haired girl "It's just that nobody besides my family had called me by my name"

"Well………I like your name" said Kouji and he glanced at her "Can I call you by your first name?"

"You want to call me Sayuri?" said the hazel-eyed girl and a tiny smile appeared on her lips after Kouji nodded "Sure"

"Thanks" said Kouji and he raised an eyebrow "It's strange to see you smiling"

"Don't make fun of me" said Sayuri and she sat against the tree "By the way, I liked the music box you gave me"

"You really liked it?" said Kouji and Sayuri nodded "Then, I chose well"

"You were the one who chose it? I thought you asked your stepmother to buy it for me" said Sayuri.

"I liked it at first because its color is very similar to your medallion" said Kouji a bit annoyed "Then, I opened it and liked it even more after seeing the lily"

"I see" said Sayuri.

"I can choose a present for a girl, you know" said Kouji still annoyed.

"I never thought that someone would bother to choose and buy me such a beautiful gift" said Sayuri softly and she smiled at the sight the music box.

"Why don't we go to the pond?" suggested Kouji and he offered his hand to Sayuri.

"That's fine with me" replied the girl and she got up with his help.

They walked together to the pond and once they got there, they sat on the grass. A golden sun was glowing on an orange sky as the clear pond reflected its beauty. Ah……Autumn was such a beautiful season……. 

"Sayuri, there's something I want to ask you" said Kouji and he sighed "Why do you get tired or fall asleep easily?"

"You wouldn't believe me……you wouldn't understand" said Sayuri after she lowered her eyes.

"Well, then let's make a promise" said Kouji and Sayuri looked at him puzzled "Promise to that setting sun that you'll tell me your secret when you want to and I promise that I'll believe you"

"Lonewolf……I don't know………." said Sayuri.

"Just promise it" said Kouji as he glanced her.

"You're very persistent" said Sayuri and she smiled slightly "Setting sun, I'll tell this stubborn boy my secret when I want"

"And I promise that I'll believe what she'll tell me" said Kouji as he gazed at the golden sun.

"We look kinda childish" said Sayuri and she giggled softly.

"You are happier today" observed Kouji "I want to visit you in your next birthday"

"And when's yours?" asked Sayuri.

"It's on December" replied Kouji.

"December……?" said Sayuri.

"December 16th" said Kouji and Sayuri opened her music box again "You really liked you new music box"

"Yes" said Sayuri and she smirked "And you really liked my chocolate cake" 

"It was delicious" said Kouji and he smirked "But I'm sure that your mom is a better baker"

"Oh, really?" said Sayuri in a playful tone "After you taste it, you'll be able to judge"

"Great" said Kouji and he smiled slightly.

"You also look strange when you smile" said Sayuri teasingly.

"You're impossible, small lily" replied Kouji.

"That's your nickname for me? I like it" said Sayuri.

"Me too. But I think that I could also call you Miya" said Kouji.

"Miya? I don't like it" said Sayuri and she crossed her arms.

"Your family name is Miyahara and the kanji characters that form it mean shrine plain" said Kouji "You live in a shrine so I'll start calling you, Miya"

"Then, I'll call you Mina" said Sayuri.

"On the other hand, I think small lily suits you better" said Kouji quickly.

"That's better" said Sayuri "I can see that black-mailing works on you"

"I can change my mind, you know" warned Kouji.

"Thank you again for the music box. I really like the melody it sings" said Sayuri.

"So you don't know its name" said Kouji feeling relieved.

"No" replied Sayuri "It's the first time I listen to it"

"I'm so glad" said Kouji and Sayuri looked at him puzzled.

"You can be strange sometimes" she said and she enjoyed the soft breeze.

"So?" said Kouji and he sat on the grass.

"I like that" said Sayuri and she sat beside him.

"Great" said Kouji and they contemplated the scenery.

~*~*~*~*~**********~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, a teenager with blue sapphire eyes was reflecting on what had happened two days ago. He couldn't still believe what he heard from his grandmother's mouth.

**_~~~FLASHBACK~~~_**

At a hospital, an old woman was lying on a bed and her grandson was beside her. Every would soon end for her but before that, she had to do something. A truth that had been hidden for years. Something that would change her grandson's life forever, something that could cause both pain and happiness. 

"Kouichi……" called the old woman and she placed a hand on her grandson's.

"What is it, grandma?" asked a blue-eyed boy.

"I must tell you……….I have to confess you something….." said the old woman and she took a deep breath "You have a brother………his name is Kouji"

"Kouji?" repeated the boy and his agonizing grandmother managed to nod "I have a brother? But that's impossible"

"He lives with your father, Kousei Minamoto" said the old woman "He remarried just after the divorce"

The boy named Kouichi let out a gasp. He never expected to have a brother. But what his grandmother had just told him couldn't be a lie.

"Please tell me more, grandma" he begged.

"That man told your twin that Akiko is dead" said the woman and she sighed heavily "He left your mother to live with that woman"

"Kouji is my twin……..I have a twin……" said Kouichi.

"Take care of Akiko, she's suffered a lot" said his grandmother "I love you…….."

"I love you too, grandma" replied Kouichi.

"G-Goodbye……….." whispered the old woman and her hand fell.

"Grandma?" said Kouichi and he shook her desperately "Grandma, please tell me something"

"It's useless, son" said a doctor softly that had just entered "I'm afraid that she's dead"

"But……no…..she……" said Kouichi and silent tears started rolling down his cheek.

"She won't suffer anymore, Kouichi" said a blue-eyed woman sadly and tears rolled down her cheek "I'll miss her"

**_~~~END OF FLASHBACK~~~_**

He had to do something, he had to find his brother and tell him what their grandma confessed before dying. He didn't care if he had to confront his father, he had to tell his brother the truth. It was decided, he, Kouichi Kimura would find Kouji Minamoto and tell him everything.

~*~*~*~*~**********~*~*~*~*~

"Do you really have to go?" asked Jiang Li.

"Yeah…………I have to study for my History exam and it's late" replied Kouji.

"I'll see you at school, then" said Sayuri.

"I guess" said the long-haired boy.

"But first, I want to give you a big piece of cake" said Jiang Li and she gave him a plate with cake "You can eat it tomorrow or share it with your parents"

"Thank you" said Kouji.

"I'm glad you came" said Jiang Li with a smile.

"I'll accompany you to the arch" said Sayuri.

"Thanks" said Kouji and he glanced at Jiang Li "Goodbye"

"Goodbye" replied the black-haired woman.

The boy had stayed at the Miyahara Shrine for hours but for him, it seemed minutes. He had been talking a long time with Sayuri and her mother. But it was time to go home and leave the shrine. 

All was calm and quiet, with a beautiful moon shining above in the night sky and silver stars surrounding it. A cool breeze was blowing but the two teenagers decided to ignored it, there were more important things for them.

"I have to go but I'll see you at school" said Kouji.

"Thank you for everything you've done for me" said Sayuri and Kouji blinked "You're the kindest boy I've ever met"

"I'm not kind" said Kouji, feeling embarrassed.

"Of course you are" said Sayuri "I've enjoyed this day a lot and thanks to you"

"I've also enjoyed this day, Sayuri" said Kouji "Well……see you"

"See you, lonewolf" replied Sayuri and she waved goodbye as the boy started making his way home.

_I think that for mom's right: he could become my friend thought the black-haired girl_.

She watched the boy until he was out of sight and she returned to her house. She wanted to listen to her music box's melody again. For a strange reason, it transmitted her something she couldn't describe but she really liked it. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

That was the fourth chapter and I think I'll delay with the fifth chapter more than a week but I'm not sure. Maybe I can finish it soon. And something else, I don't know if I'll write something as dramatic as the skeleton thing I wrote so please tell me your opinion.

Now, here's something I'll write in the next chapter!

_Her pale face, which always showed her strength, had a different expression that made her look weak and fragile. Her hair always shiny and nicely tied into a ponytail, was a mess………But what the lonewolf was missing most, were the small lily's eyes, the hazel eyes that could sent icy glares and that always looked so proud and confident._

Evil One1: I'm glad you're still reading my story but I'm not sure if you'd like this chapter. Sometimes, I start writing and I'm not able to stop and that's why I absent-mindedly hurry things in my stories. Anyways, thanks for reviewing again. I hope you still like this story. =)

Kara: I'm not sure of how I'm going to tell you this………this is an AU fanfic, it means Alternate Universe and it doesn't have a lot to do with Frontier except Kouji, Kouichi and their family. I was planning to write another one after I end this and it'll have to do with Frontier, except that the girl is going to be different from Sayuri. I still don't know but if you want (and if have enough inspiration), I can try to write another fanfic.

You could suggest me things like if you want that girl to be Sayuri or another one. But please, continue reading because I like the reviews I've received from you, Evil One1 and Kana. =) Thank you for your reviews!

Kana: I'm glad you liked my last chapter, I tried to add some humor to this story. Thank you for reviewing and you're right, this is an AU fanfic. Please continue reading and reviewing. See you! =)

~~~Li Kasumi


	5. Sayuri's confession

**THE LONEWOLF MEETS HIS MATCH**

By Li Kasumi

Disclaimer: Hi! I do not own Digimon nor its characters. I don't own the song "I'm with you", it belongs to Avril Lavigne. I hope you review this story so I can know what you think of it and I apologize if my grammar is not good. Read, enjoy and review.

By the way, I changed the fourth chapter's title to "The girl he can't ignore" 

_Italics_--thoughts

Summary: AU fanfic. Loneliness is her one friend while living in shadows. Sayuri is a mysterious girl who deals with a curse that has haunted her family for years………..but what would happen if someone like Kouji Minamoto gets intrigued by her? 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Soft footsteps resounded against the gray floor as two teenagers made their way to the self-defense club on a boring Wednesday. At first, they ignored the strange glances they received from their fellow schoolmates but they end up sending icy glares to them.

"Finally, the self-defense room" said Sayuri and she slid the door.

"Ladies first" said Kouji and Sayuri muttered a 'thank you'.

"Minamoto!" called a cheerful voice from behind.

It was Megumi Sugiyama. Her dark-brown eyes shined as she saw Kouji. She glared Sayuri and then, took Kouji's hand. Sayuri rolled her eyes and glared her, that girl was so annoying.

"Let's enter together!" exclaimed the brunette but Kouji didn't move.

"Stop holding my hand" said Kouji harshly.

"Don't be so stubborn, sweetie" said Megumi.

"I can't waste my time with you" said Kouji and Sayuri smirked before slapping Megumi's hand.

"We have better things to do, Sugiyama" said Sayuri and she dragged Kouji into the self-defense room.

"He's the trophy and I'll win it" muttered the brunette and she entered the room.

It was Taeko Nakajima's turn to fight and he won as many expected. As usual, he showed off and all the girls, except Sayuri, acclaimed him. Then, it was Megumi's turn to fight with Musashi while the rest of the students were sat on the floor.

"He's so arrogant………" whispered Sayuri.

"Yeah……." agreed Kouji.

"Have you studied for the Literature exam?" asked Sayuri.

"Not really, it's an easy subject" replied Kouji "Only a moron would have problems with it"

"Then, I guess I'm a moron" said Sayuri icily and Kouji coughed.

"I had no idea……Sorry" he said quickly.

"I could do fine if the exam were in Cantonese but I'm in trouble because it'll be in Japanese" explained Sayuri.

"I see….." said Kouji and an idea came to his mind "I was planning to go to the shrine today so….if you want, I can help you"

"Really?" said Sayuri and Kouji nodded "Thanks"

"Besides, you helped m-" said Kouji but he didn't finish his sentence because he suddenly hugged Sayuri.

"Why a-" started Sayuri with a pink shade on her cheeks but she didn't finish her sentence because she saw Megumi receding with her pole after hearing a thud.

"I'm sorry, Minamoto. I didn't mean to hit you" said the brunette.

"Minamoto, are you fine?" asked sensei Ikeda.

"Yes, I'm fine" replied Kouji emotionlessly and he glared Megumi.

"I'm really sorry" said the brunette.

"Are you okay, Sayuri?" asked Kouji.

"Y-You covered me, you took the blow for me" whispered Sayuri.

"I asked if you're okay" repeated Kouji impatiently.

"Yes, I'm fine" replied Sayuri and she glanced at him with concern "What about you?"

"You hit harder so there's nothing to worry about" said Kouji and he noticed that everyone was watching them "The battle, sensei"

"Huh? Oh, yes" said the sensei and he turned to see a furious Megumi and a surprised Musashi "Continue your battle"

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

Finally, the self-defense class ended and the students started leaving. Kouji Minamoto was about to leave with Sayuri Miyahara when the sensei tapped him on the shoulder.

"Minamoto, could I have a word with you?" he asked.

"Sure" replied Kouji a bit surprised.

"Why don't you wait outside, Miyahara? I must talk with Minamoto in private" said the sensei and Sayuri nodded because he had an unusual serious expression on his face.

"Fine" replied the girl and before leaving, she said to Kouji "I'll wait for you at the gate"

Once gone, sensei Ikeda turned to Kouji and he began giggling to his student's surprise. Then, he began laughing harder and Kouji raised an eyebrow.

"What's so funny?" asked Kouji as he watched his teacher laughing.

"And when will you ask her out?" said the sensei.

"What?" exclaimed Kouji.

"You're a loner" said the sensei "You've shoved everyone away but I can see that you're getting close to that girl"

"I know I'm a loner" said Kouji "About Sayuri, she's more mature than other people, that's why I enjoy her company"

"Yes, I've noticed that" said the sensei "Now if you like her, you could give her a bouquet of flowers or chocolates, you could ask her out to see a movie or something she likes. You could practice martial arts with her for example"

"I don't like her in that way" said Kouji, feeling embarrassed.

"Well, in case you want advice, ask me" said sensei Ikeda and Kouji raised an eyebrow.

"If you know about courting, why don't you have a girlfriend yet?" he asked and the sensei sweatdropped.

"That was a below-the-belt blow" said sensei Ikeda.

"I'm sorry" said Kouji and he shrugged "See you. I must go home"

"See you" replied the sensei.

The lonewolf left the room and he shook his head. Sensei Ikeda was probably nuts or maybe he hit his head with the sheath of a katana, or something like that. It was true that he liked Sayuri's company but he didn't fancy her.

"Lonewolf! Over here!" yelled Sayuri not so far so he ran towards her.

"I thought you were going to wait for me at the gate" said Kouji once he arrived where she was.

"I wanted to know if you were okay" replied the girl.

"Don't worry. I'm fine" said Kouji.

"Why did you protect me from Sugiyama?" asked Sayuri.

"Because I wanted" replied the long-haired boy.

"But you got hurt" said Sayuri and she placed her hand on Kouji's shoulder "Does your shoulder or your back ache?"

"It hurt when she hit me but I'm fine now" replied the boy.

"I can give another ointment" said Sayuri and she smiled slightly "Thank you, lonewolf"

"You're welcome" replied Kouji and he shrugged "Let's go home"

"Right" said Sayuri and they started walking home together.

~*~*~*~*~**********~*~*~*~*~

That same day, a teenager with blue sapphire eyes was walking down one of the streets that lead to the Miyahara Shrine. He had never gone to that place because it was very far from his house but his grandmother had told him about it. He thought that it'd be a good place to think about how he would find his brother and tell him the truth.

He had already told his mother that he was going to a shrine but he hadn't told her what his grandmother confessed before dying. Finally, he caught a glimpse of an arch and he deduced that it indicated the shrine's entry so he ran towards it, but he stopped in dead tracks when he spotted someone that looked just as him.

"That boy…….he's……..he looks like me" he whispered and quickly hid behind a post.

He couldn't believe his eyes. He thought that it'd be hard to find his brother because he had no clue where to find him but right there………a few meters ahead, he was talking with a girl.

_He's Kouji! My brother!_ thought Kouichi and he tried to get a better view _But what is he doing at the shrine?_

He saw that a woman walked towards them and greeted them. She was probably the girl's mother because they had the same looks. Kouichi watched the girl with more interest, maybe he was his brother's girlfriend and she probably lived at the shrine. Even if he couldn't get closer to see that girl, he noticed that she was quite good-looking with that pale skin and black hair.

Then, Kouji waved goodbye to Sayuri and Jiang Li and started walking home. Kouichi waited until both mother and daughter left and he cautiously followed Kouji until he stopped at house and entered it.

Kouichi contemplated the house. It was big and beautiful, probably full of luxuries. He spotted a doorplate on which there was something that meant a lot for him: "Minamoto". 

That was father's last name, the man that left his mother for another woman and made her so unhappy. But it was also his brother's last name.

_Grandma told me that he doesn't know I exist thought Kouichi._

He shook his head and decided to go home, it seemed that it was going to rain. Besides, his mother would worry if he arrived late to the restaurant where both worked.

~*~*~*~*~**********~*~*~*~*~

Later, Kouji arrived to the Miyahara Shrine and he knocked the door. No answer came. It was strange because Sayuri knew he was going to help her to study Literature. He knocked again. Nobody answered.

"Mrs. Miyahara?" said Kouji but nobody replied.

He opened the door and entered the house. He started walking through it when Jiang Li came from a room at the bottom.

"When did you enter?" she asked as soon as she spotted him.

"A few seconds ago. I knocked but nobody opened the door" replied Kouji, feeling ashamed of himself.

"Sayuri told me that you were going to help her to study Literature but she's not in conditions for that" said Jiang Li and Kouji frowned because the woman looked worried.

"What do you mean?" asked the boy.

"Come with me" said Jiang Li and she opened a door.

Kouji entered the room. Its walls were white and it had some Chinese decorations like a yin yang poster and a Chinese sword but it still looked very empty. There were a few books on a desk and a white fan beside them. Kouji spotted a photo of a man and he thought he was probably Sayuri's father.

Then, he saw her. Lying on a bed and covered by blankets was Sayuri Miyahara, the girl who dared to call him Mr. Bandana, blue-eyed samurai or lonewolf whenever she wanted. He got closer to her until he was beside her and widened his eyes at the view.

Her pale face, which always showed her strength, had a different expression that made her look weak and fragile. Her hair, always shiny and nicely tied into a ponytail, was a mess……….But what the lonewolf was missing most, were the small lily's eyes, the hazel eyes that could sent icy glares and that always looked so proud and confident.

"What's wrong with her?" asked Kouji barely audible.

"I don't know" replied Jiang Li and she fell to her knees.

"Mrs. Miyahara?" called Kouji and Jiang Li began crying.

"I can't do a thing. I feel so helpless……" she said "She's barely breathing……."

"I don't know what's wrong with her but we must do something! She looks so……" said Kouji but he didn't finish his sentence.

"……..lifeless" finished Jiang Li.

"Sayuri………." whispered Kouji and he held her hand.

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

"………and you'll pay for what you did last time!" yelled Sayuri angrily.

"That was a funny joke, Miyahara" replied the sorcerer "Besides, that was your birthday's gift from me"

"Why don't you show yourself? Then, I'll be able to make you pay for everything, you sadist!" yelled Sayuri.

"Because I don't want to scare you more than I have" replied the sorcerer "I can be shy, you know"

"You're mad" said Sayuri.

"Of course" replied the sorcerer "But I'm very smart: Nobody can protect you in your dreams"

"Humph…….That's why you cursed my family in that way, to make sure that nobody could interfere" said Sayuri.

"Exactly" said the sorcerer and his voice turned soft "But I do understand if you want your mother to come again"

"Leave her out of this!" yelled Sayuri and she closed her eyes "Please"

"Feelings. They make us do irrational things" said the sorcerer bitterly "You've been showing more emotions lately and that's weakening you"

"That's not true" said Sayuri harshly.

"It is. Have you met someone interesting?" asked the sorcerer and he laughed because Sayuri didn't reply "Who?"

"Nobody" said Sayuri.

"I don't think so" said the sorcerer "Do you want me to read your mind again?"

"A boy" replied Sayuri emotionlessly "I enjoy his company"

"How sweet! Your first crush!" mocked the sorcerer "But I'm sure that he's like your mother: he doesn't care for you"

"My mother does care for me!" exclaimed Sayuri.

"If she does, then, why isn't she here? A mother always protects her children no matter what" said the sorcerer.

"She cares for me" insisted Sayuri.

"Nobody does. It doesn't matter what you do, you always end up alone" said the sorcerer "Remember your mother's family: your grandmother, your cousins………remember your school"

"I don't have feelings so stop bothering me" said Sayuri and she heard a laugh.

"Everyone has feelings, even me" said the sorcerer.

"I doubt that" said Sayuri and it began raining on that dark dimension.

"I have feelings!" yelled the sorcerer angrily "It's not my fault if no one realized that! It's not my fault if Aki never realized how much I loved her! She never considered my feelings!"

"Aki? Who's Aki?" asked Sayuri.

"Don't you dare repeat her name!" roared the sorcerer "You'll stay here for the eternity!"

"What?" said Sayuri but she got no reply.

It started raining harder in that infinite darkness. Sayuri sighed, she was soaked and wanted to wake up from that dream. At least it wasn't so bad as the last one but she hated being in that place. It was true that she preferred loneliness but she had never enjoyed that kind of silence……..so creepy……so disturbing…….so spooky……..

_I'm standing on the bridge_

_I'm waiting in the dark_

_I thought that you'd be here by now_

_There's nothing but the rain_

_No footsteps on the ground_

_I'm listening but there's no sound_

It seemed that hours passed but she was still there. When would her curse end? Why couldn't she wake up and see her worried mother? Maybe it was true what the sorcerer had told her, nobody didn't really care for her. Maybe she was a burden for her mother, maybe she was destined to be alone forever. 

_Isn't anyone trying to find me?_

_Won't somebody come, take me home?_

What if she stayed there for her entire life? What if no one could rescue her from that nightmare? That place was so cold and she was starting to desperate. She only wanted someone to save her from that curse.

_It's a damn cold night_

_Trying to figure out this life_

_Won't you take me by my hand_

_Take me somewhere new_

_I don't who you are but I_

_I'm with you_

_I'm with you_

She yelled for help even if she knew it was pointless. Where was her mother in that moment? If only she could see someone, it'd be right. It didn't matter if she saw her grandmother or someone she disliked, she didn't like to be alone in that dimension.

_I'm looking for a place_

_I'm searching for a face_

_Is anybody here I know_

_'Cause nothing's right_

_and everything's a mess_

_and no one likes to be alone_

_Isn't anyone trying to find me?_

_Won't somebody come, take me home?_

It turned kind of chilly there and she wrapped her arms around her for warmth. Now, if she could have a sweater or a jacket……….A certain jacket came to her mind………Kouji's jacket. She'd really want to see him again but now, she wasn't sure if she would. If he were there to comfort her, to tell her that everything would be okay, she'd believe him because she knew that he'd find a way to take her home.

_It's a damn cold night_

_Trying to figure out this life_

_Won't you take me by my hand_

_Take me somewhere new_

_I don't who you are but I_

_I'm with you_

_I'm with you_

It was true that she never wanted to receive someone else's help but that boy was quite too different. Why? Why did she let him get so close to her? Why was she opening to him in a way she couldn't with others? Why was he starting to mean so much to her?

_Why is everything so confusing?_

_Maybe I'm just out of my mind_

_Yeah…..yeah……_

There was a great confusion in her mind because of him, but it didn't bother her at all. If she was confused, then, she'd have to get to know him more. The problem: she wasn't sure if she'd be able to.

_It's a damn cold night_

_Trying to figure out this life_

_Won't you take me by my hand_

_Take me somewhere new_

_I don't who you are but I_

_I'm with you_

_I'm with you_

If she could hold his hand…….If he could hug her protectively like he did before……..If he were there and smile for her……….that loneliness wouldn't matter………

_Take me by my hand_

_Take me somewhere new_

_I don't who you are but I_

_I'm with you_

_I'm with you_

If he were there to show her the way home……... If he could bring light to that cursed place………If he could take her hand and release her from the curse that had haunted her for years……….

_Take me by my hand_

_Take me somewhere new_

_I don't who you are but I_

_I'm with you_

_I'm with you_

_I'm with you_

But then, she remembered that life hasn't been fair for her. She was always alone and would always be. Out of the blue, her whole body began fading. She could barely see her arms in that unnatural void and a silent tear rolled down her cheek.

All she could do was to open her mouth and cry with all her strength a name that had beginning to have a lot of meaning for her………

"Kouji!"

It was the first time she had called him only by his name, as if he were an old friend. It was the first time when she dared to call him for help, to feel his name roll over her tongue and through her lips. But it was useless………Kouji was far away and he wouldn't hear her. 

Why? Why was she born with such a bad luck? She took a deep breath and waited for the infinite darkness to consume her in that emptiness. She couldn't do something to stop it but what she regretted most, was the fact that she never had the chance to say it to his face, to call him by his name……….Life was so unfair…………

"Sayuri!" she heard someone yelling and all the darkness began disappearing as it stopped raining.

That voice…… She had heard it before…….It was Kouji's! Was he there too? The whole place was now full of light and her body began vanishing. When she least expected, she saw a pair of brilliant blue sapphire eyes, the eyes that she thought she'd never see again.

"Kouji…………" she muttered and she sighed in relief.

"It's me, Sayuri" said the boy.

"Kouji!" said the black-haired girl and she hugged him tightly as tears began rolling down her cheeks.

"Everything is okay, don't worry" replied the blue-eyed boy as he hugged her back.

"You're warm" whispered Sayuri.

"Are you fine, Sayuri?" asked another voice.

"Mom…….." said Sayuri and she broke the embrace.

"I was very scared, small lily" said Jiang Li as she wiped her own tears.

"You cried because of me" said Sayuri unnecessarily.

"I'll go for tea" said Jiang Li softly "Don't get up"

After saying that, she left the room slowly, leaving the two teenagers alone. Kouji eyed Sayuri with suspicion and concern, he wanted to know what was going on.

"I want to tell you my secret" said Sayuri.

"I don't think this is the moment, you're tired and you need rest" said Kouji and he covered her with more blankets.

"I don't want to rest" said Sayuri "I need to know if you'll fulfill your promise because you'll probably think I'm nuts"

"I will" said Kouji.

"I don't know why or how it began but centuries ago…………." started Sayuri and she told him the few things she knew about her curse and what she had gone through.

Jiang Li finally entered the room and she was surprised to listen her daughter talking about her curse. In some way, she'd prefer to keep it as a secret. She noticed that Kouji was silent and that he was frowning. After a few minutes, Sayuri stopped talking.

"Here's the tea" said Jiang Li as she walked towards them with a tray and two cups of tea.

"Thank you" replied Sayuri and she took one cup.

"I also brought a cup of tea for you" said Jiang Li to Kouji but the boy remained speechless.

Sayuri looked at him with disappointment. He was probably thinking that she was a capricious and spoiled girl who only wanted to get attention. There was no point in trying to convince him, he probably thought she was a freak.

The lonewolf hadn't uttered a single word, he was thinking in what Sayuri told him. It sounded ridiculous, absurd but in some way……..it made sense why she got that bruises and cuts so often and why that scratches appeared when she was unconscious.

"I believe you, Sayuri" he finally said.

"Really? Aren't you saying that because of what you promised?" asked Sayuri with uncertainty.

"No" replied Kouji self-confidently.

"Why? Why do you believe me?" asked Sayuri.

"Because you're not the kind of person who'd invent that kind of story" said Kouji "And I've always suspected that there's something supernatural that torments you"

"Thank you for believing in me, Kouji" said Sayuri.

"We could go to a library this Friday, after school" said Kouji "That man told you that he loved a woman named Aki"

"Fine" said Sayuri and she drank some tea.

"It's late. The Literature exam is on Friday so I can help you tomorrow" said Kouji "I have to go"

"Right. See you" said Sayuri and Kouji nodded.

"I'll accompany him to the arch, stay here" said Jiang Li.

"Fine" said Sayuri.

Her mother and Kouji left the room. They walked in an uncomfortable silence through the house but once the reached the arch, Jiang Li spoke.

"Did you really believe her?" she asked.

"Many things make sense, like the scratches that appeared last Thursday on her neck while sleeping" said Kouji.

"You didn't answer my question" said Jiang Li.

"There are still things that I doubt, madam" said Kouji "Goodbye"

"Goodbye" replied Jiang Li and she watched him go.

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

Thursday arrived again and a black-haired girl was making her way to her classroom. She slid the door once she got there and she spotted a teenager with dark blue hair.

"Good morning" she greeted.

"Good morning" replied the boy.

"So……..I……." started Sayuri hesitantly when a certain brunette pushed her from behind.

"Good morning, Minamoto!" greeted cheerfully Megumi and she waved at him.

"Good morning, Sugiyama" replied Kouji emotionlessly.

"Are you free this Saturday?" asked Megumi "I'd like to go to with you wherever you want"

"I don't know" said Kouji emotionlessly and he turned to see the school grounds from the window beside him.

"Why don't you tell me tomorrow?" said Megumi as she got closer to him.

"Fine" replied Kouji absent-mindedly and Sayuri sharpened her eyes.

"Great!" exclaimed Megumi and she flung her arms around his neck.

"Sugiyama, stop doing that" said Kouji harshly.

"Doing what?" asked Megumi as she tightened her arms around his neck.

"You know what" said Kouji and he got up briskly to get rid of Megumi "Sayuri, I think t-………Sayuri?"

"She left, sweetie" said Megumi with a smile.

"Good morning" greeted Junko after entering the classroom.

"Good morning" replied Megumi.

"Do you know what's up with the Miyahara freak? She tossed her schoolbag in the corridor and she almost knocks me, she runs very fast" said Junko.

"Do you know where she went?" asked Kouji as he got closer to the red-head.

"No, she only ran past me" replied Junko.

"Thank you" whispered the boy and he left the classroom in a hurry.

"I never thought that getting up early would have its benefits" said Megumi.

"Why do you say that?" asked Junko.

"He didn't reject me this time" said Megumi "But he didn't tell me if he'd go out with me"

"That's great, Megumi!" exclaimed the red-head.

Kouji soon found Sayuri's schoolbag and he called her but he got no reply. Maybe he should have been politer with her, instead of only replying a simple 'good morning'. Where could she be? It was still early and homeroom would start in ten minutes.

He left the building and went to the 'small forest'. He walked through it until he found Sayuri leaning against an old but tall tree.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yes" was Sayuri's short answer.

"Why did you leave?" asked Kouji.

"Because I wanted" replied the girl and she looked away.

"Ah…..Nice sweater" complimented Kouji and Sayuri shrugged "Why are you upset?"

"I don't know what you mean" said the girl.

"You do know what I mean, small lily" said Kouji and he got closer to her "Are you upset because Sugiyama hugged me?"

"No. It's your life and I don't have to tell who you can befriend" said Sayuri.

"I don't plan to befriend her. But I wanted to talk about what you told me yesterday" said Kouji.

"You don't believe, do you? You told me that you believed me because of that promise but you think I'm a freak like everyone else. The only difference is that you pity me" said Sayuri icily.

"I do believe you and I don't pity you. Stop being so insecure and let go the sadness and resentment that you have in your heart" said Kouji and Sayuri jerked her head.

He had cracked her armor and got a hint of her true emotions. He understood what she had felt all her life because of her loneliness.

"I'm not insecure" said Sayuri.

"Then, don't let Sugiyama push you. I don't like to see you being weak" said Kouji.

"I'm not weak" said Sayuri icily "Why did you come?"

"I was worried. I don't like you to be alone" replied Kouji.

"I'm used to the solitude. I've been alone all my life" said Sayuri "Mom is nice but she hasn't been by my side in the worst situations"

"But you don't like solitude and you know it. You only like calm and peace but you don't like loneliness" said Kouji.

"That's none of your concern" said Sayuri.

"It is because I'm worried for you" said Kouji and he offered his hand to her "Come with me"

"But Kouji…….." said Sayuri as she hesitantly accepted his hand.

"I was surprised but happy when you called me by my name yesterday" said the long-haired boy "I think we're becoming friends"

"So it doesn't bother you if I call you Kouji instead of Minamoto?" asked Sayuri.

"Of course not" replied the boy.

"But I'll continue calling you lonewolf or Mr. Bandana too" said Sayuri teasingly.

"Fine. I can get used to that" said Kouji "Besides, I'll always help you when you call me"

"Thanks" said Sayuri and she walked with him.

She had felt alone all her life. She never had someone to help her in her nightmares, she always felt so empty and that was because she had no friends. All the people avoided her and thought she was strange and weird so she started isolating herself from everyone. But now, she had met a boy that could understand her and that had been there for her while having that nightmares, that had filled the emptiness she felt so she wasn't alone no more.

_I'm not alone? It's true! I'm not alone!……. Since I met him, he's always been by my side……He's always there for me………and………..he believes in me……….. thought Sayuri happily and she smiled._

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And I thought that I was going to delay more with this chapter………I wrote it in less time that I expected but I couldn't update it before because there was (or there is) something with my computer. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

I think that Kouji will finally meet Kouichi =) and there will be confusion in their minds because of their meet. Kousei Minamoto won't like that but what is done, is done. Besides, I'll try to add some drama to that, (not angst) and maybe, if I don't have my computer fixed and my mind busy, I'll update this soon.

Something that the lonewolf will say in the next chapter: **_"My life has been a lie, can't you see?"_**

Please tell me if Kouji isn't acting OOC and I also must tell you that in my next chapter, the thoughts will be in italics.

So, will I update the story soon? Will I use another song? Will the author stop thinking about the cute twins? Will I stop thinking that Kouichi is cuter but Kouji is more handsome? Will I stop daydreaming about my story? Will I ever stop asking these senseless questions?

Kara10: Thanks a lot! =) I also write at fictionpress (where you publish original stories, not fanfiction) and I got a lot of reviews for one of my stories (70) but I don't remember that someone had written something like what you wrote in your last review: _Anyway, this chapter was sad, cute, and exciting all mixing together. I wish I could write like that_

I felt very happy! (And I needed that after I failed Math) 

About the Miya/Mina thing, I must confess I chose the MIYAHARA last name for Sayuri because I immediately thought in the Miya/Mina thing……..I wanted to write using the –san, -chan, -kun, -sensei suffixes but I'm not completely sure of how to use them. I wanted to write something like:

"Miya-chan? My last name is Miyahara, not Miya!" reproached Sayuri.

"Miyahara is too long" said Kouji.

"Fine. Then, I'll play the same game, Mina-kun" said Sayuri and she smirked.

"M-Mina-kun? There's no way you're going to call me Mina-kun!" exclaimed Kouji.

"But it sounds so cuuuuute………" said Sayuri sarcastically.

"And I thought Nakajima was annoying……." muttered Kouji and Sayuri glared him before walking away "Hey, wait! I didn't mean to……"

Or something like that. Anyways, I hoped you liked this chapter and that you continued reviewing. But I already had in mind the idea of another story, (but that'll be after I finish this one of after I have a lot of time, like vacations). By the way, I'm not sure If I should write Kara or Kara10. See you!

EvilOne1: Hi! Thanks for reviewing again! Really, thanks a lot. I'm glad that you enjoyed my last chapter because I wasn't sure if it was disappointing or something like that and that was because some people don't like angst or drama. I hope you continue reading so see you soon!

Kana: Thanks a lot for continue reviewing. About the title, I can see that you read my story after I changed its title. I think that now, you're my only anonymous reviewer because Kara is another author. Well, please continue reading and reviewing. And, I don't how or why your review appears three times but thanks. See you!

~~~Li Kasumi


	6. Lies

THE LONEWOLF MEETS HIS MATCH 

By Li Kasumi

Disclaimer: Hi! I do not own Digimon nor its characters. I hope you review this story so I can know what you think of it and I apologize if my grammar is not so good. I also don't own the song "Ice Blue Eyes", it belongs to its singer (I don't know her name because it's a character song) and to the anime Rurouni Kenshin. Another thing, I'll be only using the translation this time.

I almost forgot, I know that the beginning of this chapter made things to happen very fast but I think that it was time for the twins to meet.

Please read, enjoy and review  ^_^

**_'Italics'_****--thoughts**

Summary: AU fanfic. Loneliness is her one friend while living in shadows. Sayuri is a mysterious girl who deals with a curse that has haunted her family for years…but what would happen if someone like Kouji Minamoto gets intrigued by her? Could he find a way to break her curse? 

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Lies. False statements made with the intention of deceiving, of betraying, of hurting others, of hiding truths, of ending with someone's life. Some of them can bring happiness though. But still, they cause unbearable pain and grief to people. A lie isn't something that should be taken too lightly………A lie can destroy a life………. 

It was raining hard around the city on that Friday afternoon. Days were getting cooler because winter was about to begin. A black-haired woman was walking through the street when she listened beautiful music coming from a restaurant. She entered and she immediately spotted a boy playing the piano because the place was empty. 

He was wearing a maroon, long-sleeved T-shirt and a green but short-sleeved shirt on the outside with a pair of white pants.

The woman widened her eyes when she got closer. That boy………He was identical to the lonewolf! The only difference was that this boy's hair was shorter than the lonewolf's.

"He's very talented, isn't he?" said a voice from behind her.

"Yes, he does have talent………" replied Jiang Li Miyahara and she turned to see a woman.

She gasped when she saw the woman's eyes. Blue sapphire. Her hair was a bit lighter than the unknown boy's but she was sure that she was his mother. She looked a bit pale and tired, like if she were ill.

"He's my son. His name is Kouichi" said the woman.

"Kouichi?" repeated Jiang Li and she smiled "You must be very proud of him"

"I am" said the woman.

"Kimura!" yelled a bossy voice that belonged to a man.

"Excuse me" said the blue-eyed woman and she walked hurriedly towards a door.

Jiang Li walked towards the boy named Kouichi and she tapped him on the shoulder. The boy stopped playing and turned to see her. 

"Hi" said Jiang Li.

"Uh……….hi" replied Kouichi shyly.

"You work here with your mom, Kouichi?" asked Jiang Li and Kouichi nodded a bit surprised.

"Yes" replied the boy "Do you know her? Is she a friend of yours?"

"I've just met her but she looked a bit tired" said Jiang Li "She told me that she's proud of you but she didn't tell me her name" 

"Her name is Akiko, Akiko Kimura" said Kouichi.

"I see………You probably don't earn a lot for playing the piano" said Jiang Li.

"No. Mr. Tamamura doesn't pay me what I'd like to" said Kouichi and his face fell "If at least he were more considerate with mom………" 

"You're very talented and I can see that you like to play the piano" said Jiang Li "I'd like to make a party before Christmas and I'd pay you well if you went to play my piano"

"Before Christmas?" said Kouichi.

"Or I could also ask you to give me piano lessons" said Jiang Li "But I'd need to know from what hour to what hour you work"

"I work here after school from Monday to Friday, from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm" said Kouichi.

"Great!" exclaimed Jiang Li and she smiled kindly "I see that you love your mom a lot and you'd probably like to give her a nice Christmas gift"

"You're very nice, madam" said Kouichi after nodding "You haven't told me your name"

"My name is Jiang Li M-" replied the woman and she shook her head "Jiang Li Tang, nice to meet you"

"Nice to meet you too" said Kouichi "You're not Japanese, are you?"

"No, I'm from Hong Kong" said Jiang Li "But I decided to stay at Japan because my daughter prefers this country"

"You don't have more children?" asked Kouichi.

"No, she's an only daughter" said Jiang Li "She's sixteen and she's not fond of my mother"

"And why is that?" asked Kouichi.

"My mother's very strict and Sayuri isn't very submissive and docile" said Jiang Li "But she's not rebellious and she's a good daughter"

"And what does your husband think of Japan?" asked Kouichi.

"He passed away many years ago, when Sayuri was little" replied Jiang Li calmly.

"So she grew without her father……." said Kouichi and he sighed because he understood that girl.

"Yeah….." said Jiang Li but she noticed Kouichi's sadness "And is your birthday on mid-December?"

"How did you guess? It's on December 16th" said Kouichi.

"I think your mom told me" replied Jiang Li quickly and she smiled "I have to go but I'll come back again"

"Sure" said Kouichi "See you"

"See you soon" said Jiang Li and she made her way out of the restaurant, leaving Kouichi alone again.

He sighed again. He hoped that the lady he had just met hadn't lied to him. He really wanted to get a better job so he could help his mother. Jiang Li Tang seemed to be a kind and nice person and she also looked familiar. But she was from Hong Kong and he'd never traveled to another country.

How could he? He could bet his life that his father, that woman and Kouji could travel to another countries whenever they want unlike him. While those three enjoyed life in a luxury way, he and his mother had to work hard to survive.

~*~*~*~*~**********~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, Jiang Li awaited at the shrine. Last Saturday, Kouji told her and Sayuri that his mother had died years ago and that his father remarried after that. Sayuri had also told Jiang Li that Kouji was also an only child.

That boy, Kouichi was identical to him, his birthday was also on December 16th, he seemed to like music too……there were too many coincidences, he had to be Kouji's twin.

She wasn't sure of what she was going to do, but she decided that she owed the boy a lot and she'd have to cause him a great pain. Hours passed and when she least expected, her daughter and Kouji entered the house and after the usual greetings, she spoke:

"It's still early" she said "Could you come with me to a restaurant, Kouji? I want you to meet someone"

"Fine but who do you want me to meet?" said the teenager.

"You'll see soon, it's very important" said Jiang Li and her daughter frowned.

"Do I know that person?" asked Sayuri.

"No, but you'll be surprised when you meet him" said Jiang Li.

"Him? A man?" asked Kouji.

"A boy of your same age" replied Jiang Li and she glanced at her watch "We better get going"

They left the shrine and they took a taxi to go to the restaurant. They waited for a waitress to come and Jiang Li asked her about Kouichi Kimura. After a minute or two, Kouichi arrived to the table where they were.

He couldn't believe it when he saw the boy before him. Kouji…..there? But how? And why was he with Mrs. Tang? What was going on? Did he know about him?

Sayuri and the younger twin were speechless. Jiang Li nodded and tapped Kouji on the shoulder but the boy didn't move, he couldn't.

"His name is Kouichi Kimura and I met him today" said Jiang Li "His birthday is on December 16th and I also met his mother"

"His birthday is on December 16th…….." repeated Sayuri and she looked from Kouji to Kouichi.

"Her mother's name is Akiko Kimura and she is ill. She has blue eyes and her hair is tied into a ponytail" said the Chinese woman.

"Akiko? Did you say Akiko?" asked Kouji barely audible and he shook his head in disbelief.

"Yes, that's her name" replied Jiang Li.

"B-But that's my mother's name" said Kouji shockingly "And my father told me that her maiden's last name was Kimura"

"I work here with her. Playing the piano is my part-time job" said Kouichi, after recovering from the shock "What are you doing here? I thought you didn't know anything about the divorce"

"That's his mom" said Jiang Li after interrupting and as she pointed to a blue-haired woman that was far away.

"Kouji, you knew about me? You did? Did father tell you?" demanded Kouichi.

"Y-You are…….s-she is…….no, it can't be" said Kouji and he left running.

"Kouji! Wait!" called Sayuri and Kouichi watched his brother go.

Kouji Minamoto ran as fast as he could, he had to go home and talk with his father. What was going on? Why did that boy look just like him? Why? Why did he see his mother there? Why?

He took a taxi and arrived home after what seemed eternities for him. He opened the door briskly and he soon spotted both his father and stepmother. His father was reading a newspaper while his stepmother was eating a cupcake.

"You! I saw Kouichi!" exclaimed Kouji.

Kousei threw his newspaper and Satomi almost choked. Kouji approached to his father slowly and grabbed him by the collar.

"You lied to me! My mother is still alive! I saw her today! You told me that she was dead! She's alive and she lives with my brother!" yelled the teenager angrily.

"Kouji, he's your father! Respect him!" begged Satomi.

"How? How did you meet him?" demanded Kousei.

"Mrs. Miyahara took me to the restaurant where he works with my mom" replied Kouji "But that doesn't matter now"

"That woman…….of course it matters…….I knew that her daughter was strange but…….." said Satomi chokingly.

"Don't speak about them in that way! My father left my mother to marry you!" yelled Kouji "You're a slut! A whore!"

He received a slap from his father, Kousei Minamoto. The man had hit him to defend his wife, Satomi. Kouji touched his cheek and stared at his father in disbelief.

"Don't speak to her in that way, young man!" yelled Kousei as Satomi cried.

"You hit me. Fine, if that's what you want………I'll leave" said Kouji.

"Wait, Kouji. Don't leave" begged Satomi.

"You still have to talk a lot with them, Kouji" said a familiar voice from behind.

"You! You and your mother are witches!" yelled Kousei angrily as he saw Sayuri.

"Don't blame on us for what you've done" said Jiang Li as she appeared behind her daughter.

"If it haven't been for her, I'd have never known about Kouichi and my mom!" yelled Kouichi.

"I met Kouichi today. His mother is a nice woman, her name is Akiko" said Jiang Li "He's Kouji's twin, isn't he?" 

"How? Why did you tell Kouji about Kouichi?" demanded Satomi as she cried.

"You told Kouji  that his mother was dead so he'd accept you as a mother" said Jiang Li as matter-of-factly.

"No! That's not true!" yelled Satomi as she shook her head in denial.

"Of course it is. I thought that you were a good woman but I was wrong" said Kouji "I was wrong"

"No, let me explain you" begged Satomi.

"Your daughter! She's a bitch! Yes, that's what she is! No doubt why everyone talks horrible things about her!" yelled Kousei and he was slapped by Jiang Li.

"No one talks like that about my daughter!" she roared "It's awful what you did! Your other son has to work because his mother is ill!"

"That's none of your business! Why do you care if Akiko works in that restaurant as a cook? Why do you care if her health is fragile and I don't help her? Get out!" yelled Kousei and he hugged Satomi.

"Of course I'll leave. That poor boy thought his mother was dead when she isn't. You two make sick" said Jiang Li and she left the house after patting Kouji on the back.

"My brother, he is a pianist and you don't care for him………" said Kouji and he ran.

"Kouji!" called Sayuri and she went after him, leaving Kousei and Satomi alone.

The long-haired boy ran the fastest he could. He only wanted to continue running. He didn't care if it was getting colder, he only wanted to run. He didn't even know why he kept running but he was for once, trying to escape from the reality. There was only one question in his mind: Why?

He didn't even realize where he was going, he would keep running until his strength were gone. Minutes could pass but he'd feel them as seconds. He didn't care that it was raining and that it was cold. Suddenly, he crashed with a wall and the impact sent him to the floor, to the cold asphalt.

"Kouji, are you fine?" called a voice from behind and the boy turned to see who had called him.

"Sayuri…….you followed me…….." whispered Kouji emotionlessly and he looked away.

"You run very fast" said Sayuri once she caught up with him.

"Go home" said Kouji.

"I won't if you don't come with me. What if you catch a cold?" said Sayuri.

"So? I don't care" said Kouji.

"But I do so come with me" said Sayuri and she offered her hand.

"Where could I go?" asked Kouji after sighing and getting up with her help.

"To the shrine. You'll be fine there" replied Sayuri and Kouji shrugged.

They started making their way to the shrine in silence. The blue-eyed boy was practically walking without realizing where he was going, he only knew that he was following the black-haired girl. The wind blew on his face but it didn't matter anymore, his mind was far-away.

He finally arrived to the Miyahara Shrine with Sayuri and came into her house. Jiang Li offered him a towel and a cup of tea but he only shrugged and stared at the shrine's terrains through a window.

"You should change your clothes. I'll lend you some that belonged to my husband" said Jiang Li out of the blue.

"Kouji?" called Sayuri because the boy didn't reply.

"What is it?" asked the boy.

"I'll lend you some clothes because you're soaked. They're clean" said Jiang Li and Kouji nodded in gratefulness "Follow me"

Sayuri watched them enter a room and after a few moments, Jiang Li came out. They waited and Kouji finally came out but he didn't say anything. 

"Everything will be fine" said Sayuri but Kouji only stared at her and then, he turned his gaze to the window.

How could everything be fine? His father had made his life a mess. He watched Sayuri go to her room by the window's reflection. Then, she returned with another clothes and she tapped him on the shoulder.

"Here" she said as she gave him some blankets "You can sleep in the room beside mine"

"Thanks" muttered Kouji and Sayuri placed her hand on his shoulder.

"It's getting late and you need to rest" she said but Kouji only shrugged.

"Sayuri, he needs to think many things. Let's leave him alone" said Jiang Li and she glanced Kouji "Good night"

"Right" replied Sayuri and she turned to leave with her mother "Good night"

Both mother and daughter went to their respective rooms, leaving Kouji alone. He did need to think, there were a lot of things worrying him, confusing him.

His mother was alive……He had missed her a lot……..He only had a photo to remember her but now……..he'd see her, he'd listen her voice, he'd spend time with her……..

Another person came to his mind: Kouichi, he was his brother, his twin brother. Many questions appeared in his mind like: If Kouichi knew about him, why hadn't he tried to contact him? What did he like to do? Was he shy or sociable? How was his life with their mom? 

He wouldn't be able to sleep, with a lot of things in his mind that rainy night. Besides, he didn't know what he was going to do. 

He was told that his mother was dead since he could remember. Why? Why did his father have to lie? Why couldn't he tell the truth? Why didn't he tell him about Kouichi?

Then, he turned off the lights and walked towards another window to see through it. What did he want to see? The Sacred Tree. He gazed at him in search of answers, of answers that wouldn't be given. 

Hours slowly passed as he contemplated the sacred tree in the rain. It started thundering in that night but Kouji didn't even move, nothing mattered.

"You look very tired" said a voice behind him.

"I don't care" said Kouji "I don't care about anything anymore"
    
    _Those cold blue eyes_
    
    _I wish to embrace them in this heart_
    
    _This courage lost_

_Remember it once again_

"Kouji……." said Sayuri softly.

"How long have you been here?" asked the boy.

"Long enough. I was worried" replied Sayuri and she sighed "It must be hard but you are very strong, Kouji"

"My life has been a lie, can't you see?" said Kouji softly but angrily as he shut his eyes.

"I know that your father made you suffer but….." said Sayuri and she sighed.

"He and Satomi! They've been lying to me all this time! Life could've been so different without them lying to me!" exclaimed Kouji.

"But you still have your mom and your brother, a home" said Sayuri and she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I don't have a home………I don't know what's a home……I don't even know if I've ever had one…….." said Kouji softly.

He closed his eyes and clenched his fists tightly, he didn't know what to do or what not to do. Everything was so confusing and hard for him.
    
    _Hiding in the shadows_
    
    _That follows your back afar_
    
    _Anger, unspeakable sadness_

_Keeping them to oneself..._
    
    _In the dark forests you wander_
    
    _Purple scars_
    
    _At a falling star gleaming in the night_

_Staring Ice Blue Eyes_

It was dark but Sayuri could have sworn that silent tears rolled down his cheeks. For the first time since she met him, the confident, strong boy seemed unsure of himself……confused……she'd never thought that she would ever see him like this.
    
    _Those frozen blue eyes_
    
    _I wish to embrace them in this heart_
    
    _This courage lost_

_Remember it once again_
    
    _The pain of that wound does not cease_
    
    _Just cry it out_
    
    _Warm tears_

_Melt the ice harvest rain_

_I am waiting..._

"Everything will be okay for you" said the girl consolingly and she wiped away one tear.

"I have a brother but I was raised as an only child" said Kouji "I don't know how I should act around him"

"You can learn" said Sayuri softly.

"I always wanted a brother and now that I've got one, I don't know what to do" continued Kouji.

"You'll do fine. I'm sure" whispered Sayuri.

"I never thought that my mother were alive and that I had a brother. But now I know all this…..and…..I don't know how to handle it" said Kouji.

"Your brother will like you and you two will get along well, you're twins after all" said Sayuri.

"But I don't know how to get close to him" said Kouji.

"You'll do fine. I know that you will" said Sayuri softly.

"If it weren't for Satomi, if she had never met my father……..my mother and Kouichi would have a better life" said Kouji angrily.

"But remember that she took care for you. You used to admire her because she loves you as her own son and……" said Sayuri but Kouji turned to her with angry eyes.

"She doesn't love me! If she had, she'd never destroyed my family! And my father, he was very cruel with my mom and my brother!" said the blue-eyed boy with resentment.
    
    _I ask only for strength_
    
    _Coldness that burns_
    
    _Throw away the pride, and hate_

_This time, stop it..._
    
    _A battle, asking for tomorrow_
    
    _I am a fighter, defending love_
    
    _To the heart that flees the darkness_

_But turns don't look back_

"You've suffered a lot and I know that. I hadn't realized until now that one of the reasons why you don't have friends is because you grew without you mother. You thought that she was dead and you didn't know more about her" said Sayuri.

"I had no memories of her. If father at least had told me how she's like, I wouldn't be so angry at him but he always avoided the subject" said Kouji angrily "Why did he lie to me? Why couldn't he tell me that he got divorced to remarry?"
    
    _That solitude, anger, scream_
    
    _let me feel them too_
    
    _Taking back this_

_This true courage once again_

"Sooner or later you'll have to talk with him and you have to let go that confusion" said Sayuri "Besides, you can visit your mom tomorrow and she can't see you like that"

"My mother…….I wonder if she does care for me, she hasn't even tried to contact me or something. And she only took Kouichi, she left me" said Kouji emotionlessly.

"You've moved to different cities, Kouji. Maybe, that's why she couldn't contact you, she's a cook and doesn't earn a lot of money like your father" said Sayuri.

"That's a sensible thought. She probably suffered because she couldn't see me and watch me grow" said Kouji.

"I'm pretty sure of that" said Sayuri and she smiled "I'll go with you to visit your mom and your brother"

"Thank you. I needed to talk with someone" said Kouji and he sighed heavily.
    
    _Melting those frozen blue eyes_
    
    _And wiping off the tears from this heart_
    
    _Warm tears_

_Melt the ice harvest rain_

_I am waiting..._

"Don't worry" said the girl and she patted him "You need to rest" 

"I can't sleep" replied Kouji and he felt warmer because Sayuri wrapped him with the blankets she gave him before.

"It's cold" said the girl and she sighed "Kouji…….." 

"What is it?" asked the boy.

"My mother was the one who made you know about your mom and your brother" observed Sayuri "Don't you hate her for that?"

"Why should I? She's very courageous and kind" said Kouji and he sighed "Besides, I can see now why you're so smart"

"I'm sure your mom is very courageous and kind too" said Sayuri.

"How do you know that?" asked Kouji.

"Because she's your mom and she's taken care of your brother all this time, alone" replied Sayuri.

"You're right" said Kouji and he turned to her.

When Sayuri least expected, she received an unmistakably kiss on the cheek. It happened very quick but it was soft and warm. Her cheeks felt hot and she knew that she was blushing but it seemed that the boy didn't notice.

"Go to sleep" said Sayuri softly "It's late"

"I told you that I can't sleep" said Kouji.

"You're more stubborn than I thought. At least sit on the sofa" said Sayuri but Kouji shook his head "Fine"

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" complained Kouji as Sayuri dragged him to the sofa.

"This sofa is very big, you could even sleep here" said Sayuri as she ignored his complaints.

"But I can't sleep" muttered Kouji once he was sat on the sofa.

"I'll stay with you all night if it's necessary" said Sayuri and she sat behind him "I'll only leave until I see you sleep"

"You worry a lot for me" said Kouji "Thank you"

"You're welcome and now, young man, try to sleep" said Sayuri impatiently and she took his bandana "This is also wet"

"Oh, I forgot to put it away" said Kouji.

"Why don't you close your eyes so you can fall asleep easily?" suggested Sayuri.

"Good idea" said Kouji and he yawned before closing his eyes "Good night"

"Good night" replied Sayuri.

She glanced him and was taken back when the boy's head suddenly began falling down her shoulder after a few minutes. She pulled some blankets and covered him with them because it was a cold night. 

Sayuri smiled, Kouji looked so cute when he was sleeping and his head soon found its way to her lap. She guessed that it was more comfortable for him and that he wasn't even realizing what he was doing.

'_I don't like to see you so sad and confused. That's not you'_ thought the girl and she began stroking his hair gently.

She covered herself with some blankets and glanced again at the boy. It warmed her heart to see him sleeping on her lap, so peaceful and relaxed after the confusion that troubled him a few minutes ago.

She closed her eyes and let herself fall asleep. After all, she also needed to rest if she was going to go with him to visit his mother. 

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, Kouichi was on his bed. How did Kouji find him? Maybe, he saw him last Wednesday but it couldn't be, he hid very well. But the lady he'd met today……….she seemed to know his brother very well.

"Kouji, where are you now?" he asked to the ceiling.

Life had been unfair with his mother and him. Maybe his grandma was wrong, maybe Kouji knew about his existence but he was a spoiled, selfish brat who didn't care about others' feelings. Maybe, he had accepted that woman as his mother and enjoyed the life without caring if his real mother was suffering.

Blood began boiling in Kouichi's veins as he contemplated that thought. If he was right, then, his brother was as mean and insensitive as their father.

But then, he shook his head. No, if Kouji had ran it was because he was shocked to see him. If he knew about him and went to talk with him, he wouldn't had ran away……….Everything was so confusing.

Now that Kouji knew about him, what would he do? How did he react after finding out that he had a twin brother working as a pianist? What was Kouji thinking in that moment? Would they get along well?

Their lives were so different………Kouji had had a luxurious and easy life without worries while he had to work after school and stand humiliations in order to save money and help his mom. No, Kouji didn't know anything about that, his life had to be easier and better…….he probably had tons of friends, a pretty girlfriend, all the things he wanted and the most important thing: a home.

But anyways, their father was the one to blame, he started everything. If he hadn't met that woman, if he hadn't preferred her over their mother, if he hadn't left them……..

But what is done, is done. Nothing could change the past. Thanks to his father and that woman, he'd never know the meaning of the words "family" or "home". No, he'd never have anything of that. 

Kousei Minamoto couldn't understand all the pain he had caused to others. It was because of him that he and Kouji were separated since they were little. It was because of him that his mother had to work hard even if she was ill. It was because of him that their life was miserable.

How could his father separate him from Kouji? Twins weren't supposed to be separated, that was unnatural. They were supposed to share almost everything, to be together, to be the best friends, to play jokes on others because of their looks, to do everything together!……….

Why? How could he? Both he and Kouji were born to be together! They had been together since before they were born!…….Why couldn't a man like Kousei Minamoto understand?

And his mother……..his kind mother……she didn't deserve to suffer. She was a great woman, a woman that deserved someone better than his own father…….

Why was fate so cruel with him? What did he and his mother do to deserve that life? He couldn't find the answers to that questions.

Kouichi sighed. Finally, he let the gentle darkness vanish his thoughts. He fell asleep slowly in that cold night. After all, Saturdays weren't peaceful days at the restaurant. 

Rain continued falling on that dark night. The twins had met but they had barely exchanged words. Maybe, it was because of the shock. Everything happened so fast………but still, it was for the best.

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And this is chapter six. Hmmm……I'll probably stop with the song thing, I only wanted to write a few chapters with them but I'll probably write the songs as background for…..I don't know…….maybe the ninth or tenth chapter……It depends on how much and what I write. I'll also write a clue about the Miyahara shrine in the next chapter.

To **_those who read and don't review_**, please…..pretty please **_review_**. I won't bite you if you do that. I accept constructive criticism but not flames. I know that there are a lot of Kouzumi fans but please don't flame 'cause I don't read those fics and write bad things about them. So please, if you like or dislike this, please review this because I want to write a good story and you could give me suggestions. Besides, I don't want Kouji to act so OC or fluffy and I want to improve my grammar =) **_REVIEW!_** (To tell the truth, I'm somewhat desperate)

Evil One1: Well, I don't know if you read last chapter right after I posted it but thanks for continue reviewing. I was going to write more for this chapter but this is the second time that you've told me about how long my chapters are. I think that you're right in that because sometimes, I confuse myself (it sounds weird, doesn't it?) so I decided that I'd write the twins' meet in 2 chapters: one of their P.O.V.s and other of more action. Thanks for continue reading and I hope you've liked this chapter too. See you!

Kana: I think this is the first time you've reviewed before Kara or Evil One1 and it is a bit funny. In case you haven't noticed, one chapter, Evil One reviews first than Kara and in the next one, is Kara who reviews first. Thanks for continue reading and I hope you've liked this chapter too. By the way, is your nick somehow involved with Kana from Inuyasha? See you!

Kara: I read your review just before I updated and thanks again for continue reading. I'll review your story and thanks for the compliments. After I read your story, I reviewed it. I must tell you that my first language is Spanish so, if you're American, you could get confused by my ideas.

I wrote that you might have ideas but you don't know how to write them (that's the same thing that's happening to one of my friends, she has a writer's block) I'd e-mail you but my internet is quite slow, that's why I update this each week and not sooner. You also have good sense of humor, once I get ideas or you tell me the setting, I'll try to help you. If you don't want to write your ideas in a review, just tell that you've e-mailed me in the next review. See you and good luck because I like Takari fics!

~~~Li Kasumi


	7. Twins and a soap opera fan

THE LONEWOLF MEETS HIS MATCH 

By Li Kasumi

Disclaimer: Hi! I do not own Digimon nor its characters. I hope you review this story so I can know what you think of it and I apologize if my grammar is not so good.

**_Note:_**

**_Well, I have to apologize because sometimes, I don't check the preview of my chapters. I thought that I had only moved the lyrics with the tabulation thing (I mean the ones that are in the rule) so I didn't realize that I also moved the other paragraphs. I read your reviews (thanks Kara) and I promise that I'll see the preview of my chapters before updating. _**

 Please read, enjoy and review  ^_^

**_'Italics'_****--thoughts**

Summary: AU fanfic. Loneliness is her one friend while living in shadows. Sayuri is a mysterious girl who deals with a curse that has haunted her family for years…but what would happen if someone like Kouji Minamoto gets intrigued by her? 

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Cold. It was pretty cold and she couldn't distinguish where she was. Everything was covered by a strange mist in a place she didn't know. Soon, she spotted two figures standing in middle of that mist, they were arguing about something and she could feel herself getting closer……….

"But master Otsuki won't be glad when he finds out that y-" started a male voice when a woman interrupted him.

"You must understand me, my young apprentice, I must avenge my sister's death" said the female voice.

"But master loves you and if something bad happens to you….." said the male voice and he sighed "I had a vision a few days ago……"

"A vision? I understand because I also had one last night" said the woman "That's why I'm leaving and remember that whatever happens, you mustn't tell Sen what you saw"

"But mistress Aki……..don't leave, you could die" begged the apprentice.

"I know, Satoshi" said the woman whose name was Aki "But you must understand that my sister, her husband and her son were murdered by that man"

"You could wait until master finds a way to beat him" insisted the apprentice.

"I'm sorry but I have a great chance. Goodbye" said Aki and a thud was heard "Take care, Satoshi Miyahara"

*********~~~*********

"Wait!" exclaimed Sayuri suddenly, making the boy on her lap to wake up.

"What? What happened?" asked Kouji immediately and he realized where he was "Sorry! Really, I didn't mean to….."

"You two have finally waken up" said Jiang Li from another sofa, in front of them "Sayuri, did you have a nightmare?"

"No…..but……" said Sayuri and she shook her head "It's nothing"

"Please excuse me, Sayuri. I think I fell asleep and……" said Kouji while blushing as he got up.

"Don't worry" said Sayuri and she also got up "I'm going to take a bath"

"Kouji can have breakfast while you bath" said Jiang Li and she frowned when Sayuri didn't move "Are you sure you didn't have a nightmare?"

"I'm sure" replied Sayuri and she hastily went to her room.

"Hmmm……..Mrs. Miyahara, I didn't mean to fall asleep on her lap, I don't know how I…….." said Kouji and he shook his head several times, feeling embarrassed.

"I know. Don't worry and let's have breakfast" said Jiang Li as she was followed by the boy "Besides, she was the one who came and let you fall asleep on her lap"

_'And I'll talk with her about that as soon as I get the chance' she thought._

"Thank you for everything. I wasn't in a good mood yesterday so please accept my apologies if I offended you by being silent all the time" said Kouji.

"I understand, young man. You're lucky that we're at my house and not at my mother's or she would've slapped you several times" replied Jiang Li and she served milk once they were in the dining room.

"Is she very strict?" asked Kouji.

"Yes and she never liked Satoru, my daughter's father" said Jiang Li "She says that he wasn't good enough for me"

"These clothes I'm wearing were his?" asked Kouji and Jiang Li nodded "I'm sorry for causing you all this problems"

"Don't worry" said Jiang Li "Besides, Sayuri is getting more cheerful thanks to you"

"No, she's the one who can make me lose my aloofness with others" replied Kouji.

"Anyways, she's happier and smiles more often" said Jiang Li "It'd been ages since I'd seen her smile like that"

"Sayuri doesn't like her grandmother…….." said Kouji, trying to change the topic of conversation.

"Well, my mother likes to compare her with my niece Yi Jie" said Jiang Li "Sayuri's never been the most obedient and feminine girl in all the world"

"Yes, I know that. How many siblings do you have?" asked Kouji.

"Only one: Xia He. I'm older than her but her children are older than Sayuri" replied Jiang Li "Xu is 18 and Yi Jie is 2 months older than Sayuri"

"I see" said Kouji and Sayuri finally entered the dining room.

"I'll have breakfast and we can leave" she said and she sat.

"Sure" said Jiang Li and she smiled "I was talking with Kouji about your cousins"

"Yi Jie and Xu" said Sayuri not very happy.

"I only told his that they're older than you" said Jiang Li and she sighed "Come on. They're not bad guys"

"You don't like them, do you?" asked Kouji.

"Xu is nearly as nice as Nakajima and he also likes to pick on me and Yi Jie…….she always lets my grandmother to decide for her, she's very docile" said Sayuri and she sighed "But she's also very cultured and everyone likes her"

"My poor niece is always learning something new but she's……..clumsy" said Jiang Li "I can't understand why Xia He lets my mother to educate her daughter"

"But your brother-in-law shouldn't let that happen" said Kouji.

"My uncle left my aunt a few years ago because he couldn't stand my grandmother. He took Xu and he sometimes spends time with Yi Jie and stuff like that" replied Sayuri.

"I see" said Kouji quietly.

They were done with their breakfast after some minutes and Kouji changed clothes again. He looked strange without his usual outfit but he'd go to his house when he were sure that no one were there. Then, they took a taxi to go to the restaurant.

"Stop making fun of me, Sayuri" repeated Kouji very annoyed for the tenth time when Sayuri burst in giggles.

"Sorry but I'm not used to see you with that kind of clothes" she said and giggled even more.

"He's using your dad's clothes, stop teasing him" said Jiang Li.

"Right" said Sayuri and they entered the restaurant.

They spotted Kouichi near a door that leaded to the kitchen and Kouji got nervous. A few meters away, his twin brother was arguing with a tall man. The man was furious, he suddenly grabbed Kouichi by the collar and he began shaking him.

"How dare you say that, young man? You wouldn't be here if I hadn't given job to your mother!" roared the man and Kouji sharpened his eyes.

"Leave him alone now!" he demanded and ran towards them.

"Ko…..K-Kouji? But how?" asked Kouichi barely audible.

"Who are you? And why do you look just like Kouichi?" demanded the man.

"I'm his brother, Kouji Minamoto" replied Kouji as he glared the man before him.

"His brother? But he doesn't have a brother!" exclaimed the man.

"It's a long story, Mr. Tamamura" said Kouichi and the tall man put him down "Some days ago, before my grandma died, she confessed me that I had a brother"

"But it seems that he's unluckier, look at his clothes" said Mr. Tamamura and Kouji sweatdropped.

"I left all my stuff at my father's house because I found out that my mother wasn't dead like I was told" he explained.

"Your mother isn't here so get out you two! I don't want kids yelling in my restaurant!" said Mr. Tamamura "And tell your mother that she's fired!"

"What? You can't do that! You know that we need the job!" begged Kouichi and he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry for that. I have a new job for you" said Jiang Li.

"It's you! The lady that came yesterday" said Kouichi.

"Yes and my maiden's last name is Tang because my actual last name is Miyahara" replied Jiang Li "I'm sorry for lying"

"Kouji came here because he wants to talk with you and your mom" said Sayuri.

"You're that girl…..the girl who was with him last Wednesday…." commented Kouichi.

"You were spying him?" asked Sayuri.

"No. I was going to the Miyahara Shrine when I saw you two far away but I hid" replied Kouichi.

"Out!" yelled Mr. Tamamura and the Chinese woman and the teenagers left the restaurant.

Once outside, the twins looked at each other and time stopped for both of them. They had finally met the day before and they knew about the divorce. But still, they didn't know what to say.

"Where's your mom?" asked Jiang Li out of the blue.

"She's at home. She fell ill again" replied Kouichi sadly.

"Mom…….." whispered Kouji.

"Poor woman. Would you mind if we visit her, Kouichi? We could help" said Jiang Li.

"I don't want to bother you" said Kouichi.

"Don't be shy. After all, Kouji's a good boy" said Jiang Li.

"Shall we get going?" asked Kouji.

"Sure" replied Kouichi and he led the way in complete silence.

They arrived to a blue house after some minutes. Kouichi opened the door with his key and was shocked to see his father talking with his mom.

"Kouji! There you are! With that…….witches!" said Kousei once he noticed that Kouji arrived with Kouichi.

"Do not talk like that about Sayuri and Mrs. Miyahara!" said Kouji angrily.

"Kouji…….you've grown so much" said Akiko with a slight smile.

"Mom……" said Kouji and watched her carefully.

She looked very tired but she looked as beautiful as in the photo. That kind eyes and that warm smile, it was her. There was no doubt., she was his mother, Akiko Kimura.

"You've seen her. Let's go, Kouji" said Kousei rudely but his son ignored him.

"Come here" said Akiko as she opened her arms.

"Mom……" repeated Kouji happily and he ran to hug her.

The younger twin hugged her fiercely, never wanting to let her go. He had missed her so much…….he had never forgotten her……..

"Let's go, Kouji" repeated Kousei, this time in a softer tone.

"He has the right to spend time with mom" said Kouichi and Kousei turned to see him.

"You are Kouichi" he said.

"No, I'm the neighbor" said Kouichi sarcastically.

"Don't be insolent with me, young man" scolded Kousei.

"You left my mother and made her unhappy, not caring that she was ill" said Kouichi angrily "Why should I respect you?"

"Did you tell him that, Akiko?" asked Kousei.

"It was grandma" said Kouji "She told Kouichi everything before dying"

"Yeah…….she died days before you went to that girl's party" said Kousei.

"You knew and you didn't tell me?" said Kouji and he stopped hugging his mom "You're worse than I thought!"

"What did you two do to my son? I bet that you brainwashed him, you must be after his money. After all, I'm a successful business man while you two only have that worthless shrine" said Kousei.

"After his money? You make me laugh" said Sayuri defiantly.

"Kouichi, why don't you tell him my name? Tell him my maiden's last name" said Jiang Li dangerously.

"Her name is Jiang Li Tang" said Kouichi.

"Tang? That name is somehow familiar……" said Kousei.

"My father is Heng Tang, the owner of the Tang Co. and one of his friends is your boss" said Jiang Li "You work at the Ohmi Co., don't you?"

"Ohmi? Isn't that….." said Sayuri and she smirked.

"My godfather's last name? Yes and I don't think that he'll be very pleased when he hears what one of his employees thinks about us" said Jiang Li and she took out a cell phone from her bag.

"Mr. Ohmi is your godfather? You're lying!" said Kousei.

"I casually brought my passport and other documents so you can confirm that I'm Jiang Li Tang" said the Chinese woman "You can also ask whatever you want to my godfather"

"I'd never heard of the Tang Co." commented Kouichi.

"It's a Chinese company that sells different kinds of products: clothes, cars, books, furniture, medicines and other stuff" said Sayuri.

"We live at the shrine because it's a peaceful place. We often get tired of all the luxuries that we have at Hong Kong" said Jiang Li "But that doesn't matter now"

"I don't understand why you left Mrs. Kimura, she's more beautiful than your wife" said Sayuri.

"Thank you" said Akiko while smiling.

"You're welcome" replied Sayuri.

"Kouji is still underage and immature, he'll live with me" said Kousei "I'll let him visit you but he'll live with me, Akiko"

"What about Kouichi? He has the right to have a better life" said Kouji as he walked towards his father.

"I've already discussed that with your mother" replied Kousei "I'll give her a pension but you'll go with me"

"I want to stay a bit more" said Kouji icily "I'll go later. I still have things to talk with you"

"Fine" said Kousei and he left without saying goodbye but he did glare Jiang Li.

"Kouichi, you already knew everything and you didn't tell me" said Akiko.

"I was very curious. My grandma told me that he left you to remarry and that he took Kouji. That's all she told me…….I wanted to know what Kouji looked like and how he was living…….." said Kouichi.

"I guess it's okay and you two are……" said Akiko as she stared at Sayuri and Jiang Li.

"She's Jiang Li Miyahara and the girl is Kouji's girlfriend" said Kouichi.

"What? I'm not his girlfriend" said Sayuri sharply and she glared daggers at him even if she was blushing slightly.

"She's a friend and my neighbor" said Kouji, who was also blushing.

"Sorry" muttered Kouichi a bit scared of Sayuri's reaction "It's just that you're pretty and I thought that you were his girlfriend"

"Ah……well……thanks" said Sayuri still blushing so she looked away.

"Mrs. Miyahara met me and soon realized that I was Kouji's twin. She took him there and I think that you probably know the rest" said Kouichi.

"Yes, I remember her" said Akiko.

"But what will you do? That man fired you two" said Sayuri.

"He fired us? Kouichi, what did you do?" said Akiko.

"I complained and lost my temper" replied the older twin.

"Don't scold him. It was partly my fault because I yelled at that man" said Kouji and Kouichi turned to see him.

"No, I did lose my temper today" he said and he stared at the floor, waiting for his mother to scold him.

"Well, I guess that we'll have to look for another job" said Akiko.

"Maybe not. One of the reasons why I returned to Japan is that I'm looking for new ideas to expand my family's company" said Jiang Li "Like my daughter told you, we sell different kind of products"

"But I'm not a businesswoman or something like that, I'm a cook" said Akiko.

"How much do you know about recipes?" asked Jiang Li.

"Mom knows a lot of recipes, she's a great cook and I also know a bit" said Kouichi and Sayuri raised an eyebrow.

"You cook?" she asked and Kouichi nodded "That's a big surprise, considering that your brother can't"

"You didn't have to do tell him that, you know" said Kouji clearly annoyed.

"Well, he's different in that from you. Hmmm……..I wonder if he can bake cakes" said Sayuri absent-mindedly.

"I've never tried to bake one but I can bake cookies" said Kouichi.

"I see" said Sayuri "What are your hobbies?"

"Well, I like playing the piano, drawing and reading" replied Kouichi.

"You like reading? Kouji doesn't" said Sayuri and a thought came to her mind "Are you single?"

"He is" said Akiko and she smiled at Kouichi.

"Great" said Sayuri.

"Why do you ask?" asked Kouichi shyly.

"Yeah……what's on that thick head of yours?" asked Kouji as he glared her.

"It's hard to find a boy who's cute, polite and self-confident" replied Sayuri emotionlessly "Besides, you should talk or do something to get to know your brother, Kouji"

_'And I think that  he'd be perfect for her. Too bad that she's not an assertive girl' she thought._

"Well, like I was saying before my daughter began to talk, I could give you a job" said Jiang Li "We've never published recipes in our books. I was planning to investigate recipes of different countries and make a big book of them but I'd need help"

"Mom wanted to start that project three years ago but she couldn't, she barely knows about Japanese food" said Sayuri "You could help her to choose good recipes, madam"

"Really? But I'm not an experienced chef" said Akiko.

"It doesn't matter as long as you prove to be trustworthy and hard-working. Kouichi says that you're a good cook and I'll only need help writing the recipes and tasting them" said Jiang Li "What do you say?"

"Please accept. It's an easier job" said Kouichi.

"Mrs. Miyahara is a nice woman and she's very considerate" added Kouji.

"Fine. I accept the job" said Akiko.

"Great" said Jiang Li "Meanwhile, Kouichi could give me piano lessons because I want to impress my mother"

"My grandmother? You want to impress my grandmother?" said Sayuri in disbelief "That's something impossible"

"She'll visit us very soon" said Jiang Li "Yi Jie will also come"

"When? Why?" said Sayuri "Why can't she stay at Hong Kong? I don't mind if Yi Jie comes but does my grandmother have to come?"

"Yes" replied Jiang Li and she sighed "Your grandpa will also come"

"I could pretend that I fell terribly ill of something contagious and they wouldn't come" said Sayuri.

"They will come, young lady and stop whining" said Jiang Li severely "I'm not very pleased with you"

"Why? I'm n-" said Sayuri but her mother silenced her with a glare.

"We have to go. I guess I'll be seeing you" said Jiang Li and she bowed "Excuse us"

"I'll accompany you to the door" said Kouichi.

"Oh no. I've got many things to talk about with my daughter" said Jiang Li and she smiled before leaving.

"Goodbye" said Sayuri and she hurried after her mother.

"Mrs. Miyahara seemed to be kind" said Kouichi.

"She is but Sayuri doesn't like her family" said Kouji.

"I'm glad that you're getting to know each other" said Akiko and the twins glanced her.

"Well……..there are many questions I want to ask you" said Kouji.

"I'll try to answer all of them. But I'd like you to talk with your brother" said Akiko.

"But he wants answers, mom" said Kouichi "Besides, I don't know what to say"

"Kouji already knows what your hobbies are so it's his turn to tell us about himself" said Akiko.

"But I……." said Kouji and he took a deep breath "I like practicing martial arts and playing my guitar"

_'Why couldn't you stay a bit more, Sayuri?' he thought and he stared at the door._

"You play the guitar? I've never played it" said Kouichi "It's usually for noisy songs"

"No, you can also play calm and soft melodies" said Kouji.

"I didn't know that" said Kouichi.

"I'd like to listen you playing the piano again. I like that kind of music a lot" said Kouji.

"You say you also like martial arts" said Akiko.

"Yeah………" said Kouji.

"Are you a rookie or an expert?" asked Kouichi.

"Ask Sayuri" replied Kouji.

"She also practices martial arts?" asked Kouichi and Kouji nodded "She's quite weird"

"Sayuri's not a freak if that's what you're thinking, she's just not an ordinary girl" snapped Kouji.

"I didn't say that she's a freak" said Kouichi "Besides, she's quite interesting and good-looking"

"Just because she was here, it doesn't mean that she likes you. She's a loner and she hardly trusts in someone so I'd advise you to think in another girl" said Kouji.

"But she doesn't seem to be a loner. I think you're saying all that because you like her and I'm sure that she's never called you cute and all that stuff" shot back Kouichi.

"No, she's never called me cute" said Kouji softly and he looked away "And I don't fancy her"

"Why don't you talk about something else?" suggested Mrs. Kimura.

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

"……..and not only that, that's the last time I let you to talk like that about my mother with strangers" said Jiang Li.

"I understand that I shouldn't have talked like that about her but I think you're exaggerating about me and Kouji" said Sayuri "He only fell asleep on my lap and I didn't want to wake him"

"You could've moved him very slowly. He didn't have the fault but I don't like you to let him fall asleep on your lap at night and then, you spending all the night comforting him" said Jiang Li.

"I wasn't there all night. I went to check on him and found him awake" said Sayuri "I didn't do anything! Really!"

"But still, it's the last time you do that" said Jiang Li "Sometimes, I think that your grandmother isn't so strict"

"You're kidding? My grandma is the strictest woman in all the world!" complained Sayuri and her mother glared her.

"You also flirted with that Kouichi boy and I don't like that" said Jiang Li.

"I never flirted with him" replied Sayuri.

"Of course you did" said Jiang Li "And I thought you knew what is to be compared"

"I was only trying to start a talk between them. Kouji was tense and he couldn't think in a way to get to know his brother" said Sayuri.

"Anyways, I didn't like your questions, young lady" said Jiang Li.

"But mom, I swear that I wasn't flirting with Kouji's brother" said Sayuri "Besides, I wouldn't prefer Kimura over the lonewolf" 

"You better not. Kouji's quite sensitive and I wouldn't like you to hurt him because of your comparisons" said Jiang Li.

"I won't hurt him" said Sayuri "And……..I also want to give him a nice birthday present"

"What do you have in mind?" asked Jiang Li.

~*~*~*~*~************~*~*~*~*~

"……..then, Kouichi will go with you" said Akiko.

"I don't know if he'd like to…….." said Kouji.

"I also want to talk with our father" said Kouichi.

"Fine" said Kouji and he glanced Akiko "Can I come tomorrow?"

"Sure" replied his mother with a smile and they hugged.

"I really, really missed you" said Kouji.

"I missed you too, Kouji" said Akiko and she whispered in his ear "Kouichi's a great boy, give him time"

"I will. I'll see you tomorrow" replied Kouji and he waved at her before leaving with his twin.

Once outside, they looked at each other but immediately turned their gaze to the cloudy sky. They walked fast and in silence but both twins would sneak glances of the other when they could.

Finally, when they were near Kouji's house, they met three of Kouji's enemies: Taeko Nakajima, Keisuke Yoshioka and Musashi Kino.

"What are you doing with that clothes, Minamoto? And who's that, your long lost twin?" mocked Musashi.

"Yeah……how did you guess? You're getting smarter" replied Kouji calmly and the three boys widened their eyes.

"The eyes, the hair, the looks……..but you don't have siblings" said Keisuke.

"Are they friends of yours?" asked Kouichi.

"Friends? He's asking if we're his friends!" said Taeko and he began laughing.

"But how come that he's your long lost twin? Does it involve a divorce or what?" asked Musashi sarcastically.

"I hate to admit it, Kino. You're right this time" said Kouji "It's like if you knew the story"

"He's not joking, Taeko" said Keisuke with surprise.

"And let me guess, your father left your mother for another woman and he told you that she was dead" said Musashi "You never knew that you had a brother until the least expected person met him"

"Come on, Musashi. That sounds like a soap opera" said Keisuke but Kouji blinked.

"Let me continue with my story" said Musashi "While you had a great life, your brother had to work to earn money and his life is very different from yours"

"You're right" said Kouichi after nodding "Mrs. Miyahara met me at the restaurant and my life is really different from his"

"How could you get all those ideas?" asked Taeko with amazement to his friend.

"Why don't you answer?" asked Keisuke after waiting for his friends' answer.

"Don't tell me that you watch soap operas" said Taeko impatiently and Musashi went red "What? You do?"

"You watch soap operas?" asked Kouji in disbelief and he began laughing.

"Shut up! If your father left your mother it was because she wasn't good enough for him!" roared Musashi.

"What did you say?" yelled both Kouji and Kouichi at the same time.

"You wanna fight?" said Musashi and he showed his knuckles "It'd be great to punch your brother, Minamoto"

"Retreat! Take back what you said about my mother!" demanded Kouji angrily.

"Or do you want me to teach you some modals, mushy soap opera fan?" yelled Kouichi.

"That's not a big insult, you know" said Taeko but Musashi had fire in his eyes.

"It is!" he growled.

"Anyways, we're bored and we need exercise" said Keisuke and he adopted a fighting posture "Let see if Minamoto's brother is another weakling"

"That's fine with me" said Kouichi as he glared them.

"But you don't know to fight and they're experienced" said Kouji "Let me take care of this"

"I may not be a sensei but I will not allow them to say that about my mother!" said Kouichi.

"I'll fight with Minamoto and you two can do what you want" said Taeko.

"I wanna fight the other, he called me a mushy soap opera fan" said Musashi.

"Then, I guess that I'll watch you fight" said Keisuke "I wanted to fight Minamoto but I'll let you fight him this time, Taeko"

"Thanks, pal" replied Nakajima and he launched at Kouji.

"My turn" said Musashi and he launched at Kouichi.

Taeko kicked Kouji so hard that he sent the lonewolf to a post. Kouichi was having trouble dodging Musashi, he wasn't used to fight but he managed to punch him on the face. Kouji got up quickly and glared Taeko before succeeding in punching him several times.

"Kouichi, watch out!" warned Kouji because his twin was about to be punched in the stomach.

"You're fighting with me!" said Taeko and he suddenly hit Kouji in the chest with al his strength.

"Kouji!" called Kouichi because his brother fell on one knee.

"That hurts, doesn't it? I hit you with a lot of energy" said Taeko "First, I store my energy and then, I release it in one punch"

"Poor baby, he wants his mom" mocked Keisuke because Kouji was gasping for air.

"I was planning to use Miyahara as a guinea pig to practice this punch, but you can also be useful" said Taeko.

"You touch her and you're dead!" yelled Kouji but he winced.

"The Spooky Witch will get what she deserves" said Taeko and he grabbed Kouji by the collar.

"This boy is also a weakling" said Musashi after throwing Kouichi to the floor "He doesn't know to fight"

"I'm not weak!" snapped Kouichi and he quickly got up.

_'I wonder if I can do what that boy did' he thought._

In a fast movement, he elbowed Musashi in the stomach. The other boy couldn't even react, Kouichi concentrated and clenched his fist tightly and then, hit Musashi in the face, sending him to the floor.

"How could you do that? I can do that too but I needed to practice" said Taeko with surprise.

"Remember that he's my brother and he's not a weakling" said Kouji and he suddenly knocked Nakajima off his feet.

"I think that I'll have to fight" said Keisuke.

"Fine. I was bored" said a voice from behind.

"Spooky Witch, what are you doing here?" snapped Keisuke once he turned to see Sayuri.

"You're very noisy" she replied and she adopted a fighting posture.

"You won't fight with that clothes" said Keisuke because his adversary was wearing ceremonial clothes.

"I will in case you want to fight them" said Sayuri "But I must tell you that I know the technique Nakajima used because a Chinese man invented it"

"You're lying" said Keisuke.

"Ask your friend" said Sayuri icily.

"She's not lying, Keisuke" said Taeko "We better go, remember that the shrine is near"

"Fine. Get up, Musashi" replied Keisuke.

"Wait for our revenge" said Taeko and he helped Musashi.

"We'll see you soon" said Keisuke coldly and he started walking away with his friends.

"I never thought that you could hit him so hard because you're a pianist" said Kouji "I'm really amazed"

"Well…….I wanted to help you, brother" replied Kouichi.

"Thank you, brother" said Kouji.

They stared and smiled at each other. There were no need for words, they were twins after all. Their bound was unbreakable, undeniable. It didn't matter all they had been through without the other, they could start everything again.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Phew……..That was quite confusing for me (and I'm the author…….) =(  Another thing, **_Sayuri wasn't flirting with Kouichi and don't get wrong ideas, he'll be a good matchmaker but he could find his one match in the process_**. Hope you got the idea. 

Well, more clues about the Miya curse will come in the next chapter. I want to give you a "preview" (or do call it spoiler?):

_Tall, thin and bald……being black-hooded and with that white skin, he looked like a vampire from a terror movie. But his eyes were what most impressed her: they were like black slits, lifeless, without a trace of color. It was like looking to death itself, he was not a man, he was a monster._

Hope you liked it. I was listening to the song "Bring me to life" from Evanescence while writing that, I could use the lyrics in a far away future. (Or maybe not) I only know that I'll try to write the lyrics of the song "Sotsugyou: Sayonara wa Ashita no Tame Ni" Graduation: Goodbye for tomorrow's sake

I think that the small note I wrote last time did work because I got more reviews so thank you. I wanted more reviews in this month (I'll be sixteen soon)  **_I'll be sixteen soon and I must warn you: I get weirder as time passes and my birthday gets nearer so excuse me if I write nonsense. I'm quite…….weird…….Let's face it, I'm crazy! =)_**

To reviewers:

Kara: Thanks a lot for reviewing and pointing out the tabulation thing. About Satomi, I wanted to write from Kouji's P.O.V. I think that I'll start fixing that in the next chapter because I want to understand how a boy of his age and like him would feel after finding out all that. Anyways, thank you for everything. I also forgot to tell you my e-mail: mistress_of_darkness1987@hotmail.com but still, tell me in a review that you've e-mailed me so I check my e-mail (my internet is quite slow) See you soon!

Anime-lover10: Hi! Thanks for reading and reviewing. Like you can see, I update once a week so please be patient. See you!

Evil One1:I'm really confused with what you mean. I know that last chapter was hard to read because of the tabulating thing but I don't understand if you liked/disliked the kawaiiness thing. You don't like that, do you? I mean, the symbols are XD That's why I've written many times that reviewers must tell me if Kouji is acting OC in a constructive way. Anyways, thank you for reviewing and I hope to get your answer. See you soon!

Fan (): Thanks for reading and reviewing my story. But I don't think I'll finish it soon because I like to write and write, and write, and write………Hope you got the idea. Anyways, I plan to write two stories more: one where Kouichi-kun will be the main character in a Frontier adventure with the spirits and all that stuff because he's so cute and kind and……(I better shut up myself)………and the other will be another Kouji/OC (probably Sayuri but she won't have the curse so she won't be a total loner) and it'll be AU, genre: Romance/Fantasy but it won't be fluffy, it'll involve adventure and humor, and many things………..See you!

TrueMallowman(): Thanks for reviewing and for your compliments. I hope you review again. See you soon!

Kana: Yippee! You also watch Inuyasha! (Well, I haven't watched it in a long time because I have to take classes of something and I can't watch it anymore)   =(  Thanks for reading and reviewing again. I'm glad that people like my story. See you soon!

Misaki: Nice name. Thanks for reviewing and trying to solve my mysteries. Let's see…….Akiko of course isn't Aki, she died centuries ago. The seller forgot to tell Kouji something, you might have an idea because it might concern the sorcerer but he wasn't the one who composed the melody. The showdown will have to wait because the twins' birthday is coming and vacations too. 

About the anti-Kouzumi thing, I support that, they're not meant to be. (Sorry again for those who like it) The tabulating thing, I hate what happens with my stupid computer so I'll try to be more careful…….Continue reviewing because I love long reviews and if you want to solve some mysteries, try to (just don't try to write something really long or I could get in trouble) because I also like to do that. (The difference is that I don't write what I think in the reviews, what if the author gets angry?) Please keep reading and reviewing. Hope you enjoy this chapter too! See you soon! (If I don't get weird………)

I Am A Sly Slytherin: Hehe. Thanks for reviewing. You remind me of a friend who fancied a boy named Patrick years ago. But the difference is that she was the one who admitted that she liked him……..Hope you enjoyed and continued reviewing. See you!

~~~Li Kasumi


	8. The mysterious sorcerer makes his appear...

THE LONEWOLF MEETS HIS MATCH 

By Li Kasumi

Disclaimer: Hi! I do not own Digimon nor its characters. I hope you review this story so I can know what you think of it and I apologize if my grammar is not so good.

Dear readers, I must tell you that this is **_the last chapter_** I write……this is the **_last chapter_** I write before I'm sixteen. By the way, I'll probably delay for my ninth chapter because I'll have to travel (don't get angry at me, get angry at my family) Too bad that I'll travel because of family business and not as a birthday gift. =( Buaaaaaaaaa. T_T That's enough or I'll get even crazier (I hardly doubt that) But I can still control myself. The next update will probably be on November 23rd, 24th or 25th. That's all and remember, the author is quite insane sometimes.

Have I told you that I like drama and angst? Well, this chapter has a bit of it. Besides, someone hurt my pride last Thursday, that sophomore compared me with a cartoon. (The strange thing was that he didn't mean to offend me but to help me) 

 Please read, enjoy and review  ^_^

**_'Italics'_****--thoughts**

Summary: AU fanfic. Loneliness is her one friend while living in shadows. Sayuri is a mysterious girl who deals with a curse that has haunted her family for years…but what would happen if someone like Kouji Minamoto gets intrigued by her?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Raining. It was raining around the town. On that December afternoon, a teenager with sapphire blue eyes stared through the window. He could see a shrine not so far, the place where certain girl lived.

A week before, he had found out that he had a twin brother and that his mother was alive. He was still angry at his father but he was still underage, he couldn't live with his mother.

His father told him stupid arguments of why he lied about his mother, he said that it was the best for him and about his brother…….he had his mother, no big deal.

Kouji's blood boiled at the memories of what his father told him and Kouichi last Saturday. Satomi, his stepmother, seemed to be sad but he ignored her. She never cared that she destroyed his family so she didn't deserve respect. 

Kousei Minamoto had agreed to let him visit his mother and Kouichi but he wasn't pleased with the fact that Akiko was now working for Jiang Li Miyahara.

**_~~~FLASHBACK~~~_**

"I don't care if Akiko wants to work for that woman and if she lets Kouichi give her piano lessons but you won't be seeing that girl" said Kousei.

"What? Why not?" said Kouji defiantly.

"I don't like the Miyahara family" replied Kousei "Try to befriend someone else"

"Your father's right. There are other girls you can befriend, Ai Mito or Megumi Sugiyama for example" said Satomi.

"And I know Megumi, she's pretty and nice" said Kousei "If you want a girlfriend, think in her, she's a good option"

"And she's the daughter of one of your best clients, isn't she?" said Kouji "I won't befriend her"

"Then, you can be alone for all your life!" yelled Kousei.

"Fine!" replied Kouji and he went to his room.

**_~~~END OF FLASHBACK~~~_**

There was no way he'd befriend Megumi Sugiyama. Besides, he already had Sayuri Miyahara as a friend and he didn't need more friends at school. 

He didn't care that his father had forbidden him to visit Sayuri and Jiang Li, he'd walk the small lily home and he'd spend all his time with her at school. But he couldn't leave his house once he entered it, his father would watch him all the time.

It wasn't fair, Kouichi was free to see Sayuri whenever he wanted, he had good excuses: he and mom worked for Mrs. Miyahara, he liked to play the piano at the shrine and he'd help them to organize the information.

Kouji sighed in frustration and took his guitar. He was really bored at home and wanted to talk with Sayuri but his father had also taken his cell phone to prevent that.

_'I don't care, I'll wait six days and visit her' thought Kouji 'It'll be my birthday and I'll tell him that I want to spend more time with Kouichi and my mom'_

Knock-knock. The teenager scowled and opened the door after putting away his guitar, it was his stepmother. Satomi shyly entered the room and smiled.

"What do you want?" snapped Kouji as he glared her.

"Dinner's ready" replied Satomi and Kouji nodded "Kouji, I want to talk with you"

"You're already talking with me, _Mrs. Minamoto_" said Kouji coldly.

"Yes, I know but I mean………I want to…….you had never been this cold with me" said Satomi "You are also calling me Mrs. Minamoto instead of stepmother"

"You're my father's wife" said Kouji curtly "You're Satomi Minamoto, the woman that made my mom suffer"

"I never wanted to hurt her, really" said Satomi "But I couldn't help it to fall in love with your father"

"I still wonder how two women could fall in love with him" said Kouji "He's not a great man"

"Please, try to understand him" said Satomi "When you fall in love, you'll know why your father did what he did"

"I doubt it" said Kouji.

"What? That you'll understand him or that you'll fall in love?" asked Satomi.

"Both things" replied Kouji.

"I think you doubt that you'll understand him" said Satomi "And I say that because you like that girl a lot"

"Of course I like her but not in the way you think" said Kouji "Besides, she has different opinions about certain things"

"Like what?" asked Satomi, getting interested.

"She says that I should consider that you love me and that you took care of me all these years" said Kouji bitterly "She says that because she doesn't understand what is to find out that your mother is alive and that you have a twin after many years"

"Well…….we'll wait for you at the dining room" said Satomi and she left the room.

Kouji closed the door and began playing his guitar. He'd have to wait until Monday to see Sayuri at school, like he thought before, life wasn't fair. 

~*~*~*~*~*********~*~*~*~*~

"……..so mom taught me to play the piano" said Kouichi.

"I see" said Jiang Li "But you proved to be very talented"

"Thank you" said Kouichi "Where's your daughter?"

"I think she's in her room, probably listening to her music box" replied Jiang Li "She's bored now that Kouji isn't here to annoy him"

"They really like each other, don't they?" said Kouichi and he giggled.

"Yes" replied Jiang Li "She's probably thinking in a birthday present for him right now"

"I suppose" said Kouichi "When will your family come?"

"Before Christmas, that's all my mother told me" said Jiang Li "I'd like you to play the piano, she'll be impressed with you"

"I'll do my best" replied Kouichi.

Meanwhile, Sayuri was listening to the music box. The lonewolf was in another place and they could only frequent each other at school because of his father. 

_'If I could think in a good birthday present……..I'll give him and Kimura a scarf for Christmas but I don't know what I could give him next Thursday'_ she thought and sighed in frustration.

Maybe, she should take a walk so she could think in something. After all, she also had to buy something for Kouichi Kimura. It wouldn't be nice of her if she only give Kouji a gift.

She took out a jacket from her closet and put it on after taking money. She left her room and said goodbye to Kouichi, he probably wouldn't be there when she arrived.

She left the shrine and began walking down the street. Fortunately for her, it had finally stopped. Sayuri sighed, she knew that Kouji liked blue color but what could she give him?

Clothes? No, there was a big chance that he wouldn't like to receive clothes. Toys? Of course not, he wasn't a kid (even if he liked to tease her). A video game? He didn't even like them. A katana? He already had one and it was really cool.

Maybe, it would be easier to buy Kouichi's gift first. She had noticed that he was alike Yi Jie so it wouldn't be so hard for her to choose a nice gift.

People were walking down the street too. She could see the beautiful decorations from all the houses and shops, most of them had a Christmas tree.

A little boy ran past her with a big smile on his face. Sayuri turned her head to his direction and she understood why he was so excited. The boy was looking cute puppies through the glass of a window. 

She had nothing to do and she decided to enter the pet shop. There were dogs, cats, birds and other kind of animals like turtles, fish and reptiles.

Kouji and Kouichi weren't little and they wouldn't like to take care of a cat or a dog. A fish would be boring for both, especially for Kouji. A bird, well, they couldn't play with it or something and a snake……….it was disgusting for her to see one.

A turtle. There were little turtles swimming in a fish tank and they could be a good choice. They could play with them and there was no problem with taking care of them because they were small and not as big as a cat or a dog. Kouji and Kouichi would like them and they wouldn't feel alone or bored at home.

_'If I buy them turtles, one of them won't feel bad for his gift'_ thought Sayuri.

She nodded and asked a shop seller about the turtles. The shop seller told her about the food and everything that was necessary for the turtles. Minutes later, she left the shop with two fish bowls and a pair of turtles.

Meanwhile, at the Minamoto residence, Kouji was ready to kill his father. Kousei Minamoto had reserved a not very pleasant surprise for him.

"I asked Megumi to come here" said Mr. Minamoto after the brunette greeted Kouji.

"I see" replied the lonewolf not very happy.

"Why don't you two go to a movie theater?" suggested Kousei and Kouji glared him.

"That'd be great!" said Megumi cheerfully and she took Kouji's hand.

"But I wanted to…….study" said Kouji.

"Exams finished today. You don't have to study" said Megumi.

"Go with her, son" said Kousei and gave Kouji a pair of bills.

"Hey! I can't go with h-" protested Kouji but Megumi silenced him with her hand.

"Have fun!" said Kousei.

Kouji rolled his eyes but he could get a chance to visit Sayuri. He'd walk Megumi home after thirty minutes, faking that he didn't feel well. That was a good plan, he'd see Sayuri soon, he only needed to be patient.

"Why don't we go downtown?" suggested Megumi "We could have dinner or something"

"It's still early" replied Kouji emotionlessly.

"Tell me, Kouji" said Megumi and the boy glared her "What do you see in Miyahara?"

"What do you mean?" asked Kouji.

"You're very kind with her and you let her call you by your name" said Megumi "Is she your girlfriend?"

"No" replied Kouji, blushing slightly.

"Great!" said Megumi and she smirked "Let's go!"

She took Kouji's hand again and began running with him. The lonewolf scowled but he had to be patient, after all, he'd only have to stand her for less than 29 minutes.

~*~*~*~*~**********~*~*~*~*~

Sayuri was walking her way home when she saw two familiar figures running together. It couldn't be him but the jacket and that bandana…….

She ran and confirmed her suspicions. The boy was Kouji and the other person was that annoying brunette, Megumi Sugiyama. Why were they together?

"Kouji!" she called.

"Miyahara! What are you doing here?" asked Megumi after she and the lonewolf turned to see her.

"Sayuri, what a-" started Kouji.

"Did you come to spoil our **_date_**?" interrupted Megumi and she smiled at Kouji "Sweetie, we can't let her do that"

"Date? What are you talking about?" demanded Sayuri.

"Let me explain you, my f-" began Kouji.

"My father-in-law likes me a lot and he convinced me to go on a date with Kouji" said Megumi and she sighed "He's shy but he's the best kisser"

"Kisser? You kissed her?" exclaimed Sayuri angrily and she continued her way home.

"No, you don't understand!" yelled Kouji and he went after her.

"She calls you by your name!" yelled back Sayuri but she kept walking.

"Because she wanted!" yelled Kouji.

"You were holding hands with her!" reproached Sayuri and she began walking faster.

"Well……….." started Kouji.

"Now, excuse me but I have to go" said Sayuri and she glared him "I wish you a nice date"

"No, wait!" called Kouji but Sayuri began running.

"Don't you want to continue with our date?" asked Megumi flirtingly after she hugged him tightly.

"No!" exclaimed Kouji and he got rid of Megumi.

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

It began raining again and Sayuri scowled. What else could go wrong that day? Did he have to be with Sugiyama? Did he have to be holding hands with her? And if they had been kissing……..she was going to kill that brunette slowly and painfully.

She finally arrived home and slammed the door. Jiang Li and Kouichi were about to ask her what was wrong but Sayuri went to her room quickly. She put the fish bowls over her desk and threw herself onto her bed, staring at the ceiling until her eyes began closing. 

Darkness was covering everything and a cold wind was blowing, making the small lily shiver in that infinite but empty space.

"How could you have that vision? Tell me!" demanded the sorcerer.

"Sen Otsuki, that's your name!" yelled Sayuri "Show yourself!"

"You really want to see me? You really want that?" asked Otsuki softly but dangerously.

"Yes! I want to meet the man that cursed my family!" replied Sayuri.

"Fine!" yelled the sorcerer.

A figure was walking towards Sayuri but she couldn't distinguish well what she was seeing. Soon, only three feet separated her from the figure and she gasped when she saw the man before.

Tall, thin and bald……being black-hooded and with that white skin, he looked like a vampire from a terror movie. But his eyes were what most impressed her: they were like black slits, lifeless, without a trace of color. It was like looking to death itself, he was not a man, he was a monster.

"What? You wanted to see me, didn't you?" snapped the sorcerer.

"You……you're disguising yourself, aren't you?" said Sayuri.

"No but I can show you how I was like before I cursed your family" said Otsuki.

Suddenly, he didn't look like a corpse anymore. Chestnut hair came from the once bald head, tanned skin covered his body and light green shone in the now almond-shaped eyes. He looked strong instead of bony and he was wearing ceremonial clothes.

"I was good-looking, wasn't I?" asked the sorcerer softly and a pair of glasses appeared in his hand.

"But how? You looked like a monster and now, you look like a normal man" said Sayuri.

"How? That's a funny question" said Sen Otsuki "You see, I paid a high price for cursing your family"

"You became a corpse?" asked Sayuri as she receded.

"Let's say that there's a rule" said the sorcerer "If you curse someone because of your feelings, there must be a way to break it"

"So…..you're telling me that there's no way I can break my curse?" asked Sayuri.

"Well, I really doubt it" replied Sen Otsuki.

"Why? Don't tell me that my ancestor was in love with that Aki woman and s-…….." said Sayuri but she was interrupted.

"No. The reason why I became a monster is that my curse is practically unbreakable" said the sorcerer "I'll tell you a clue of how you can break it"

"Really? Why?" asked Sayuri with a distrusting glare.

"Because you're the first girl that I've cursed" replied Otsuki.

"I feel so honored" said Sayuri sarcastically.

"Aki died because of my apprentice and I told him that to break his curse, he'd have to find one of Aki's relatives" said Sen Otsuki.

"He only had to do that?" said Sayuri.

"No, of course not. That was something that was necessary" replied Otsuki "That relative had to do something"

"What?" demanded Sayuri.

"I won't tell you because it's almost an impossible task" said Otsuki "Aki's family was murdered"

"It can't be!" yelled Sayuri and she shook her head.

"Aki's blood would have to run in his veins to break your curse" said Otsuki "But in case you don't remember, Aki's sister and her whole family was murdered"

"You're lying!" said Sayuri.

"Well, let's go back to my true form" said Sen Otsuki and he was once again, the corpse.

"What are you going to do?" asked Sayuri.

"Well, I look like a monster" said the sorcerer and he yawned "I hope you've had a good time before you fell asleep"

"Why do you say that?" asked Sayuri and she receded.

"Because…….I want to have fun" said the sorcerer.

"If you want to be beaten by me, get ready" said Sayuri defiantly.

"Are you forgetting the fact that I'm a sorcerer?" mocked Otsuki.

"No but y-" said Sayuri when a thing like tentacle was around her neck.

"Instead of hands, I can have long and flexible tentacles" said the sorcerer and he tightened his tentacle around Sayuri's neck.

"Your new version of the strings?" mocked Sayuri as she tried to free.

"I won't be only choking you………" said the sorcerer "If you haven't noticed, my other tentacle is metallic"

His other tentacle become narrower and looked like a long but flexible spear. The sorcerer chuckled and threw Sayuri to what was supposed to be the ground, allowing her to breathe. When the hazel-eyed girl least expected, the sorcerer pierced her left arm with the spear.

Fresh blood came out from Sayuri's arm as she winced in pain. Without hesitation, Sen Otsuki caught her neck with his tentacle and began choking her. Then, he held up his metallic tentacle and began making small cuts on her arms and legs.

"Let me go!" cried Sayuri as she touched her injured arm with her right hand.

"No" replied the sorcerer and he frowned "Even if you feel pain right now, I'd have to harm you even more to make you agonize in your world"

"What? No, I don't want to die!" yelled Sayuri as she tried to free with her left hand.

"You won't die…….yet, I want to have more fun with you" said the sorcerer "I only want to see you in agony"

He yawned and within less than a second, he drove the spear into Sayuri's waist. The girl flinched and widened her eyes as her clothes began staining with her own blood. Her hands abruptly fell and her vision started blurring as the sorcerer took out the tentacle slowly. 

"Pale skin and crimson blood…….." he said and he pierced her waist again "……..it's so delicious"

Sayuri didn't reply but the sorcerer chuckled and tightened his grip on her neck. He wasn't sure if she was still breathing but he didn't care, it wasn't something that really mattered.

"Goodbye" he said and everything went black.

~*~*~*~*~**********~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, Kouji Minamoto finally arrived to the Miyahara Shrine and he knocked the door. Jiang Li opened it and smiled after seeing him. Sayuri would be happy to see him that afternoon after she got mad about something.

"Good afternoon. Where's Sayuri?" asked the lonewolf.

"In her room. By the way, Kouichi left minutes ago, he wanted to go home early" said Jiang Li.

"Well, I'd like to see Sayuri" said Kouji.

"Of course. She's missed you" said Jiang Li and she pointed to her right "You know where her room is"

Kouji walked towards Sayuri's room and knocked the door. No answer came. He called her name but his friend didn't reply. He sighed and opened the door slowly, he was about to call Sayuri again when he spotted her.

Her body was lying motionless on her bed, covered by a red spring of her own blood. The hazel eyes were closed and her face was as pale as a ghost while her arms were full of cuts. 

"Sayuri? Tell me you're conscious!" said Kouji as he went to touch her hand.

She didn't move and Kouji took her pulse, it was weak. He leaned closer and listened to her soft breath, it was pretty slow and you could barely notice it.

"Mrs. Miyahara, come here quickly! Sayuri's bleeding!" yelled Kouji.

The Chinese woman entered the room after a few seconds and she saw the injured body of her only daughter. Kouji took Sayuri in his arms and eyed Jiang Li.

"We must take her to a hospital! She's lost much blood!" said the boy with fear in his voice.

"Right" said Jiang Li and she took out her cell phone.

She dialed a number and waited. Kouji glanced Sayuri and put her back on the bed. He ripped a blanket and began bandaging Sayuri's arm with it, he didn't like to see her covered by blood.

"Wake up and tell me something, Sayuri" he whispered.

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

Kouji Minamoto and Jiang Li Miyahara were waiting at a hospital. The Chinese woman knew an experienced and old doctor that believed in all kind of supernatural things. He had met Sayuri's grandfather and believed in the Miyahara curse.

Doctor Hino was the one who was attending Sayuri's injuries and he was done after what seemed hours for Jiang Li and Kouji. He left Sayuri in a room and went to talk with the girl's mother.

"Madam, your daughter was severely wounded" said the doctor.

"How is she?" asked Kouji.

"She's stable now, don't worry" replied Dr. Hino "But something pierced both her waist and arm, causing her to lose blood and to be in a critical condition. Fortunately, there won't be scars because she was injured with a fine instrument"

"Oh, my" said Jiang Li.

"Can we see her?" asked Kouji eagerly.

"Yes but don't wake her, she needs rest" replied Dr. Hino "Follow me"

"Thank you" said Jiang Li.

The door guided them to Sayuri's room and both Jiang Li and Kouji glanced Sayuri with concern. She looked better but she was so still, so motionless.

"I don't even want to think what would've happened if you hadn't entered her room, madam" said Dr. Hino.

"It was he who found her, he went to visit her and got worried when she didn't reply" said Jiang Li and she smiled weakly at Kouji.

"I see" said Dr. Hino.

"How long will she stay here?" asked Kouji.

"I don't know, it depends on her. She could stay a pair of days or more" replied Dr. Hino.

"Kouji, why don't you go home? You're soaked and you should change your clothes" said Jiang Li "Besides, I'd like you to tell your mom that she doesn't have to go to the shrine"

"But I want to……." said Kouji as he glanced Sayuri and his face fell "I'll come tomorrow"

"I'm sure that she'll be glad to see you" said Jiang Li and she placed a hand on his shoulder "Thank you"

Kouji sighed in defeat and nodded. He walked towards the bed and bent to kiss Sayuri on her forehead. After that, he bowed to Jiang Li and the doctor and left.

"Who's that boy?" asked Dr. Hino.

"I think that her future boyfriend" replied Jiang Li.

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

"Kouji! Are you bleeding?" asked Satomi worriedly.

"No, I'm fine" replied the boy.

"Where's Megumi?" asked Kousei.

"At home, I suppose" replied Kouji emotionlessly.

"What happened? Why do you have blood on your jacket and shirt?" asked Satomi.

"I took Sayuri to a hospital, there's nothing more to say" replied Kouji and he began ascending the stairs.

He went to his room and entered it. After changing clothes, he laid down on his bed and stared at the ceiling. He'd phone his mom later, he needed to think. 

What if he hadn't gone after Sayuri? She could be……..dead. No, the doctor said that she was stable. But still, he was sure that she had been in pain. 

Anger and sadness filled his heart. He couldn't do anything to prevent Sayuri from getting hurt, everything he'd try would be useless. If he could at least fight with that sorcerer, he'd beat him for all he had done to Sayuri.

_'And to think that she's endured all this for years'_ he thought and frowned _'Sayuri, I'd never prefer that brunette over you, I could never replace you'_

Knock-knock. He sighed and his stepmother opened the door. She was carrying a tray with cookies and a glass of milk. She smiled weakly and put the tray over the desk.

"You're worried, aren't you?" asked Satomi and she sat beside her stepson.

"There's nothing I can do, she's staying at that hospital for a pair of days or more" replied Kouji.

"I think you should visit her tomorrow" said Satomi "She's your friend, after all"

"Father won't let me" replied Kouji.

"I'll talk with him, don't worry" said Satomi.

"Thank you. She's suffering, I'm sure" said Kouji.

"I never thought that I'd see you all this worried over a person, especially a girl" said Satomi "But I guess it's ok"

"You don't understand, Sayuri's my friend, of course I'm worried" said Kouji and he sighed "But Sugiyama is always taunting her and Sayuri misunderstands everything"

"It's not easy for someone to see your beloved one with someone else" said Satomi and Kouji blushed.

"She doesn't like me in that way!" he said.

"Kouji, I'm sure that if you buy red roses for her, she'll be delighted" said Satomi "And if she's not shy, kiss her on the cheek the next time you see her"

"She'll kill me if I do that" said the boy.

"Remember, red roses will do the trick" said Satomi and she got up "I brought cookies and a glass of milk, be sure to eat"

"Thanks" replied Kouji and his stepmother left the room.

Kouji got up and began eating the cookies, it was going to be a long night for him. Anyways, Satomi could be right…….a bouquet of red roses would do the trick.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Did I tell you that I like my characters to suffer? My mood plays an important role in my chapters and the ironic thing is that I was planning to write a mushy thing but then, I read it and didn't like it. It was boring and I wanted a bit of angst. I can change my mood easily -_-  And you may ask yourselves why the doctor said that Sayuri was attacked with a fine instrument, well, it has to do with the sorcerer's magic.

By the way, I want to remind you that I'll probably update until next Monday (or Sunday, if my mother doesn't plan to stay a bit longer at that city)

And I got sad because I didn't get a lot of reviews……..I wonder if you won't hate this chapter but remember that I have to write about the curse……

Kouichi, the matchmaker will probably start his job in the next chapter (that's why I love December, it's easier to write kawaii things) I'm still doubting if Yi Jie and Wen Tang should arrive in the next chapter, it'd be a good ending but I want to do something first.

Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter and if you know of a good web page with good screenshots of Digimon Frontier, please tell me. I'm looking for images of the lovely twins……….they're so cute!!! =) 

Evil One1: Thanks for reviewing, this girl (I'm talking about me) needs to check certain things and she'd read more if her computer were faster. But nooooooooo, her mother insists that she should dedicate her free time to other things (And to think that I'm the second of my class and play an instrument, I'll introduce her to more teenagers) The strange thing is that I got the second place even if I failed my Math exam, I was lucky that the teacher was benevolent enough to give us an extra point on our exams (besides, almost everyone failed his exam) That's enough about my life, I hope to see you soon and sorry for getting you bored about my life (I can't help myself)

Misaki: You're welcome for the compliments, your name is just cute. Thank you for reviewing again and I can also get hyper (that happens so often)……..=P (Is your friend an author or does he/she is another reviewer?) He/she is original and I don't worry, at least I won't steal that name (I prefer short names since I met two boys) If you wanna solve my mysteries, why don't you e-mail me to mistress_of_darkness1987@hotmail.com and I'll tell you if you're right or wrong. By the way, have you noticed something peculiar about Sayuri and Kouji's birthday? I'll give you a clue, read my profile. And Sayuri-chan was wearing ceremonial clothes because she lives in a shrine and I've noticed in some anime like Inuyasha and CCS that even if you're not a priestess, you could wear ceremonial clothes (the red and white clothing, I don't know the names) Don't worry about making your reviews so longs, I get hyper too and write and write and write………=P You know, I have this weird feeling that you and me are alike in a pair of things or more (My glares can scare certain people and I'm sometimes in a good mood and look defenseless but when I got really angry…………I like to glare and my voice can turn cold…….) Let's say that I transform in another person but I can be kind even if some people get on my nerves. And I like the =) =P and =D things! They're cute! Well, I must stop and hope you enjoyed the chapter (even if I was a bit sadistic) See you!

Kana: Thanks for continue reading and reviewing. I'm glad that someone likes my phrases (even if I can get a bit weird) Well, see you soon! 


	9. Mistletoe

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ THE LONEWOLF MEETS HIS MATCH 

By Li Kasumi

Disclaimer: Hi! I do not own Digimon nor its characters. I hope you review this story so I can know what you think of it and I apologize if my grammar is not so good.

Well, sorry for the delay but there were some blackouts at the city where I live. That's one of the reasons and the others are that my brother didn't lend me the computer so I couldn't write and update. (Little brothers can be so selfish sometimes……..hope you don't get offended by this commentary) 

Please read, enjoy and review  ^_^

**_'Italics'_****--thoughts**

Summary: AU fanfic. Loneliness is her one friend while living in shadows. Sayuri is a mysterious girl who deals with a curse that has haunted her family for years…but what would happen if someone like Kouji Minamoto gets intrigued by her?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Snow was falling around the town, covering it in a beautiful way. It's true that December is a cold month but it's also ironically warm. Winter was coming like every year at Shibuya and it seemed that certain boy was going to enjoyed it much more than last year.

A long-haired teenager was avoiding all the stranger's glances as he walked through a big hospital. The reason why he was being watched was that he, Kouji Minamoto, was holding a bouquet of red roses. He shook his head and knocked a door at the bottom of a long corridor.

"Come in" replied a familiar voice.

Kouji opened the door and he immediately spotted Jiang Li. The Chinese woman had spent the night at the hospital, taking care of her only daughter.

"Good morning" she greeted.

"Good morning" replied Kouji "How's Sayuri?"

"She's doing better" said Jiang Li and she eyed the bouquet "They're pretty"

"My stepmother advised me to bring roses" said Kouji "But maybe, I should have looked for lilies"

"Don't worry, she'll like them. I know that her name means 'small lily' but she doesn't only like lilies, she also likes cherry blossoms ad roses" said Jiang Li.

"Right" said Kouji and he fixed his eyes on the sleeping girl "Has she waken up or something?"

"No, but the doctor told me that she needs to rest" replied Jiang Li.

"She must be tired" said Kouji and he got closer to Sayuri "That wounds must be painful for her"

"She's strong and I'm sure that she'll be fine" said Jiang Li.

"I only know that I want to see her moving again" said Kouji and he gently wiped away of black lock of hair.

"I want that too" said Jiang Li and Sayuri shivered.

"Sayuri? Are you fine?" asked Kouji eagerly but softly but Sayuri remained asleep.

"I think she's cold" said Jiang Li and she covered her daughter with another blanket "She'll be fine"

"So……..isn't there a way to……help her? What if she gets hurt now? There must be something we can do" said Kouji.

"We don't even know the name of that sorcerer, I'd do anything to help her but……" said Jiang Li.

"Are you trying to tell me that one day………she will……" started Kouji but he didn't finish his sentence.

He watched Sayuri with sadness and sighed in frustration. Wasn't there something he could do? Sayuri could die in the least expected moment and he couldn't think in anything to prevent that.

"Do you want a coffee or something, madam?" he asked.

"No, thanks" replied Jiang Li and she sat on a chair.

"Would you mind if I stay?" asked Kouji.

"Of course not. I'm glad to have company" replied Jiang Li.

"Thank you" said Kouji and he sat on another chair.

They stayed there, waiting for Sayuri to show any movement but it seemed to be useless, the girl continued sleeping. An hour passed and the doctor entered to check her condition and then left, not before telling Jiang Li that Sayuri was doing better and would wake up in any moment. Another hour passed and finally, the girl's eyes began opening.

"Where am I?" asked Sayuri.

"At a hospital, you were bleeding after he pierced your waist and arm" replied Kouji.

"Kouji, y-" said Sayuri when she saw he mother.

"How are you feeling?" asked Jiang Li as she got closer.

"I think I'm fine" replied Sayuri.

"You must be hungry, I'll go for the doctor and for your breakfast" said Jiang Li.

"Thanks" replied Sayuri and her mother left.

"Hmmm……..these are for you" said Kouji as he handed her the bouquet.

"Roses……..for me?" said Sayuri and she received them hesitantly "They're pretty, thank you"

"Don't move your left arm, it's injured" said Kouji.

"I'm sorry" said Sayuri bluntly.

"Sorry? For what?" asked Kouji.

"For yelling at you and for being so selfish" replied Sayuri and she sighed "I'm no one to forbid you to have Sugiyama as a friend or…….girlfriend, I shouldn't interfere if you like her a lot"

"My father forced me to go out with her and I was planning to visit you after thirty minutes of torture" said Kouji "I don't like her a bit"

"You don't have to explain me anything" replied Sayuri.

"But I want to. I never kissed her, really" said Kouji "And she was dragging me, I never meant to hold hands with her"

"Fine" said Sayuri emotionlessly but she felt relieved.

"I was pretty worried, your bed was covered in blood and you were unconscious" said Kouji.

"Well, he did hurt me this time" said Sayuri.

"A t least I have good news, my father will let me visit you once a week" said Kouji.

"Really? That's something" said Sayuri and she winced.

"What is it? Are you fine?" asked Kouji worriedly.

"It hurts" whispered Sayuri as she touched her waist with her right hand.

"If I could protect you……." muttered Kouji.

"You'd get hurt and I don't want that" said Sayuri and she sighed "Tell my mom about feeding the turtles"

"Turtles?" repeated Kouji and Sayuri nodded.

"It was supposed to be a surprise for you, I bought one for you and another for Kimura" she replied.

"You still don't call him by his name, do you?" said Kouji.

"Well, he's nice but he's not you" replied Sayuri "He's not my friend"

"I thought that you'd prefer him" said Kouji.

"I could never do that" said Sayuri.

"But you flirted with him, you called him cute" said Kouji.

"I never flirted with him and I called him cute because he is" said Sayuri "You're also cute but you're………"

"I see that my patient is awake!" said Dr. Hino after he opened the door.

"Good morning" greeted both teenagers.

"Good morning" replied the doctor.

"Dr. Hino told me that you need to eat first and then, a nurse will come to change your bandages" said Jiang Li.

"I thought my injuries were worse" commented Sayuri.

"I thought that too but you're stronger than I thought" replied Dr. Hino "Besides, your grandfather told me that sometimes, the magic would weaken and his wounds would heal sooner"

"I see" said Sayuri.

"Now, eat well. I'll come later" said Dr. Hino.

"Yes, thanks" replied Sayuri and the doctor finally left.

"Kouji, I phoned your mom and told her about me staying here" said Jiang Li "She told me that she'll come later"

"Mom, I bought a pair of turtles" said Sayuri and Jiang Li blinked "They must be hungry"

"Fine but you know that your grandmother isn't fond of animals" said Jiang Li.

"They're for Kouji and his brother" said Sayuri.

"Then, I'll go home later" said Jiang Li.

"Thank you, mom" replied Sayuri.

"You're welcome" said Jiang Li and she handed her a tray with food "Your breakfast and eat well"

"Sure" replied Sayuri.

"So…….what made you so angry yesterday?" asked Jiang Li calmly.

"I met an unpleasant person after I bought the turtles" replied Sayuri.

"I see" said Jiang Li and she smiled "You must thank Kouji because he was the one who found you bleeding"

"Thank you, lonewolf" said Sayuri "Once I go back home, I'll bake something for you"

"Remember that your shoulder is still injured" replied Kouji.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine" said Sayuri.

"I'll help her. Besides, your mom and Kouichi will help me to decorate my house" intervened Jiang Li "I'm sure they'll be glad to see you there"

"Now that we talk about food, I'd like to know what you ate when I met you, you were alone" said Sayuri.

"I ordered food" replied Kouji.

"I thought you were eating frozen food or something" said Sayuri.

"Sayuri, stop bugging him" said Jiang Li.

"No, that's okay. I was missing to be annoyed" said Kouji.

"Could you stay with Sayuri for a while? I want to go home to change clothes and feed the turtles" said Jiang Li.

"Sure" replied Kouji.

"Thanks. I'll come back soon" said Jiang Li and she got up "Eat well, Sayuri"

"I'll take care of her, don't worry" said Kouji and he watched Jiang Li leave.

"Strawberries? I won't eat those things" said Sayuri as she watched a bowl of strawberries and other fruits.

"You don't like them? They're delicious" said Kouji.

"I hate them. Each time I eat one, I want to throw up or something " said Sayuri with disgust.

"Fine. I'll eat them" said Kouji and he took the strawberries.

"Thanks" said Sayuri "I want to go to school until holidays begin or you'll be alone"

"But you must rest at home" said Kouji.

"But I don't want to leave you with unpleasant people" replied Sayuri.

"I won't let that brunette get close to me again" said Kouji.

"Anyways, I want to go to school" insisted Sayuri.

"I never thought that you were jealous of Sugiyama" commented Kouji with a smirk.

"I'm not jealous of her" stated Sayuri quite annoyed.

"You are. But don't worry, you're the only girl I care for" said Kouji and he kissed her quickly on the cheek.

"That's the second time you do that……." commented Sayuri while looking away, her cheeks burning.

"Well, if that bothers you, I won't do that again" said Kouji, feeling rejected.

"I never said that………it's just that I'm not used" replied Sayuri "Don't feel bad, I was just surprised because it was so unexpected……."

"Did I scare you?" asked Kouji.

"No, you only surprised me" replied Sayuri.

"Then, eat or your mother will kill me" said Kouji.

"Right but you eat the strawberries" said Sayuri.

"Sure" replied Kouji.

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

The Miyahara Shrine was being filled with Christmas carols on a Wednesday afternoon. A Christmas Tree was prettily decorated and mistletoe was being placed here and there by a teenager. 

Kouichi Kimura was deciding where to put a little sprig when he got an idea. He wondered if his twin would like it but it was worth the try and he'd have fun. He smirked and giggled as he took a chair and prepared to put the mistletoe on the frame of the door.

Then, he got another idea but he didn't have a camera. Well, Mrs. Miyahara would have one and she could lend it to him. Besides, she'd also love the idea and help him with his plan. He entered the kitchen and spotted his mom and Jiang Li Miyahara.

"Could I ask you a favor, Mrs. Miyahara?" he asked.

"Of course" replied the Chinese woman.

"Do you have a camera?" asked Kouichi and Jiang Li nodded "Could you lend it to me?"

"Sure" replied Jiang Li.

"What do you want to do?" asked Akiko "You have that smirk….."

"Well, I want to do something" replied Kouichi and he giggled "I want to…………"

Meanwhile, Kouji and Sayuri were walking down the street while the snow fell from the sky. The self defense club's sensei, Ryo Ikeda, had organized a small party because it was the last session before holidays. The teenagers actually enjoyed it, mainly because Taeko Nakajima couldn't assist and Megumi Sugiyama had caught a cold that wouldn't let her talk freely.

"Have you chosen a name for the turtle that I'll give you?" asked Sayuri.

"Not yet. I don't want to choose a silly name" replied Kouji.

"I see" said Sayuri and she saw her house "Come on. I'll beat you"

She was about to start running when Kouji grabbed her hand. He shook his head and didn't let her go, she had just left the hospital two days before.

"There's no way you're going to run, young lady" scolded the boy.

"I'm fine" said Sayuri stubbornly.

"Let's go" said Kouji.

They continued they way to the Miyahara Shrine and finally stopped in front of the door. Sayuri unlocked it and they entered together. They were surprised by a flash and spotted Kouichi with a camera.

"What are you doing?" asked Kouji.

"I was proving the camera. By the way, have you noticed that you two are standing below mistletoe?" said Kouichi.

Both Sayuri and Kouji turned to see the little sprig that was above them. Of course they knew the tradition but what would they do?

"What are you two waiting for?" asked Kouichi impatiently.

"I don't know what you mean" replied Kouji while looking at the mistletoe.

"In case you know, you should…….hmm……kiss" said Kouichi.

"But we……..I c-" started Kouji when he felt a quick kiss on his cheek.

"That's it" said Sayuri.

"But he should kiss you too and it's supposed that you two should kiss at the same time….on the lips" said Kouichi.

"Well, I can kiss you on the cheek" said Kouji "If that doesn't bother you"

"I guess that'll be okay" replied Sayuri.

"Kouichi, put away that camera" said Kouji and his brother whistled.

"Or you'll meet my fan" warned Sayuri.

"Fine" replied Kouichi but he smirked.

Kouji kissed Sayuri on the cheek but he was surprised by another flash and turned to see Kouichi. The older twin had a smirk and began giggling.

"Give me that camera!" demanded Kouji.

"I can't! Mrs. Miyahara lent it to me!" replied Kouichi as he dodged Kouji's hands.

"Kouji, why are you yelling?" asked a familiar voice.

"Mom! I didn't mean to yell but Kouichi did something that he shouldn't" replied Kouji.

"I only used Mrs. Miyahara's camera" said Kouichi, trying to look innocent.

"But he…….." said Kouji and he glared his twin "Nothing"

"I'm glad that this is an instant camera" said Kouichi "Nice photo"

"What? Where's it?" demanded Kouji.

"It's my photo" replied Kouichi.

"If you don't give it to me, I'll………….." said Kouji as he showed his fist.

"Kouji, don't threaten your brother" said Akiko.

"But mom……." replied Kouji.

Sayuri only sighed and she quietly closed the door. Then, she made her way to her room in complete silence. It was kind of nice to see how Kouji now had a family. He'd even act like a kid who had his arguments with his brother and it was funny.

_'I wonder how life would be if dad hadn't died'_ the girl thought.

She'd probably be a more cheerful girl and she wouldn't had had to move to Hong Kong and live with her grandmother. So many things……..Xu wouldn't have bullied her, her grandmother wouldn't have compared her with Yi Jie, she'd grow in a happy family and could even have a brother or sister.

But then, she wouldn't have met Kouji and the long-haired boy had become very important for her. He was unique in a way she couldn't describe and nothing could ever take his place.

"Sayuri?" asked a voice from outside.

"Come in" replied the black-haired girl.

"You scared me, I thought you had fallen asleep again" said Kouji once he entered the room.

"I'm fine" said Sayuri and she looked through her window.

"Your mom asked me to tell you that dinner's ready" said Kouji.

"Thanks" replied Sayuri.

"Are you sad?" asked Kouji.

"No" replied Sayuri "I was thinking"

"May I know about what?" asked Kouji.

"My family and my life" replied Sayuri "Will you stay for dinner?"

"Yeah" said Kouji "Come on. They're waiting for us"

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

"It's my birthday! Besides, you told me that I could visit her" reproached Kouji "I promise that I'll only stay a pair of hours and it's late"

"I don't mind if you want to spend your birthday with Akiko and Kouichi but I won't let you go to that shrine today!" replied Kousei.

"But today it's my birthday" said Kouji and he glanced a clock, it was almost seven o'clock.

"You've already seen that girl at school so stop whining" said Kousei.

"Her name is Sayuri and I'm sorry if you dislike her mother" said Kouji "But Sayuri is Sayuri and Mrs. Miyahara is Miyahara"

"Satomi and I bought a cake for you" said Kousei, ignoring his son's last statement "You should spend more time with us"

"What about Kouichi? You haven't congratulated him and he's your son too" said Kouji.

"Look. It's clear that he despises me so I won't ruin his birthday with my presence" said Kousei.

"But you're ruining my birthday" stated Kouji.

"Go to the dining room, Satomi's waiting" said Kousei "I never thought that you could be so whimsical"

"I'm not being whimsical" declared Kouji as he began going upstairs "I don't want to taste any cake, enjoy it"

"Fine" replied Kousei.

The long-haired teenager went to his room and locked it after entering. It was his birthday and he'd also like to see mom and congratulate Kouichi. Besides, he wanted to get his turtle and Kouichi would spend time with Sayuri. Life wasn't fair.

He spotted his katana and unsheathed it gracefully. He remembered how Sayuri had called him 'blue-eyed samurai' a few times, some days after they met. Well, he admired samurais and that was why he got interested in martial arts in first place. 

If he couldn't visit the black-haired girl, then he'd use his katana. He was lucky that his room was big to practice kenjitsu and vent his frustration.

He sighed and slashed at the air just to bend a second later in a graceful way. Then, he quickly spun and slashed the air again, he was full of energy and frustration. He continued slashing the air but this time, he got closer to the furniture, the samurai sword staying only one inch further from it. His frustration and anger was being released in every slash, freeing him from those emotions, only letting his passion stay.

One, two, three times he almost let the katana slash his bed but he always retreated it in the last second. He continued slashing the air and changing of fighting postures constantly, like if he were fighting against an invisible opponent.

It was only him and the katana. Anything mattered as he continued fighting. He ignored all the noise coming from the surroundings, he ignored the fact that he was getting soaked with his own sweat, he ignored the fact that he could be enjoying his birthday with his brother and mother instead of being alone. 

He finally sheathed the katana and put it on his bed, catching his breath after that tiring practice that lasted more than a pair of hours. His muscles were quite tense and he was completely soaked in sweat, a warm bath would relax him.

                                                      *************************************************

Meanwhile, at the Miyahara Shrine, Sayuri was staring at the door, she looked disappointed and pretty upset. The lonewolf hadn't shown up, he better had a good excuse or she'd forget that today was his birthday.

"I'm sure that my father didn't let Kouji come" commented Kouichi after glancing at a clock on the wall.

"That must be the reason" said Sayuri "But if your father invited that person to his house, I'm going to kill him"

"What person?" asked Akiko.

"A brunette" replied Sayuri with a frown "I suppose that I'll have to give him the turtle some other day"

"Thank you for baking a cake, it was delicious" said Kouichi.

"You're welcome, Kouichi" replied Jiang Li "It's a shame that you couldn't spend your birthday with your brother"

"I'll talk with Kousei tomorrow" said Akiko "Thanks for all but it's late and we should get going"

"We understand" replied Jiang Li "We'll accompany you to the arch"

"I'm sure that Kouji will visit us tomorrow" commented Kouichi "Too bad he couldn't taste the cake"

"Right" said Sayuri, looking more cheerful.

They left the house and went to the arch, the Kimuras soon began their way home while the Miyaharas returned to theirs. Sayuri was upset and quite sad, she had spent her birthday with Kouji but he couldn't spent his with her. Her mother tried to console her but she was still disappointed so Jiang Li gave up and went to her room.

Wasn't there a way to see Kouji on his birthday? He'd probably liked the cake she had baked for him and Kouichi. Well, she had to do something to make him taste the cake.

She went to her room, took a jacket and then, went to the kitchen for a piece of cake. After that, she left the shrine and started her way to the Minamoto residence. The night was cold and it was snowing, causing her to shiver and keep her hands in her pockets. 

Kouji's father wouldn't let her enter the house and greet him. It was great that there was a big tree beside a window and she could break into the house after climbing it. Sayuri looked at the tree, it was pretty tall and what if she fell from it? Nonsense. She was going to see Kouji and nothing would stop her.

She climbed the tree carefully and slowly, taking care of not dropping the piece of cake. Then, she was able to open the window while standing on a wide branch and with one big jump, she was in.

The walls were painted in a deep blue color and there was a katana on a mahogany bed. Everything was clean and tidy. The big mahogany bed was covered by dark blue sheets and it seemed pretty comfortable. On the corner of the room there was a mahogany desk and a black computer over it. A mahogany dresser was beside a black closet and there were two doors, one probably led to a hall while the other led to a bathroom.

_'This must be his room'_ thought Sayuri and she closed the window.

Her eyes roved over the room and spotted a photo. She went to take it and giggled slightly after seeing it. 

"How cute! He must had been six or seven" commented Sayuri and she heard a sound behind her.

She instantly turned her head and her cheeks grew hot. Kouji had just emerged from the bathroom, wearing only a dark blue towel around his waist. His body and hair were wet, making him look even more handsome. His ponytail was falling freely over his shoulder while both his chest and abdomen were clearly exposed. 

"What are you doing here?" demanded Kouji while blushing "Close your eyes!"

"Sorry" muttered Sayuri and she turned her head after closing her eyes.

"Don't open your eyes, I'll take my clothes and dress at the bathroom" said Kouji.

"Sorry" repeated Sayuri as she heard some noises "I'm sorry"

After a while, Kouji went to the bathroom and returned, now fully dressed. He told Sayuri to open her eyes and he also snatched the photo she had taken earlier.

"May I know what you're doing here?" he asked.

"Is that how you're treating me after all I have been through?" reproached Sayuri.

"What do you mean? You were the one who came here and……and saw me!" said Kouji.

"I never meant to do that! As if you had something I'd want to see!" replied Sayuri, beet red.

"How did you enter? I doubt that my father let you in and I locked my room" said Kouji.

"I climbed the tree and opened the window" replied Sayuri "It's a luck that it's big or I wouldn't have been able to enter"

"Well…….thanks for coming" said Kouji.

"You're welcome. I couldn't bring the turtle but I brought you a piece of cake" said Sayuri and she handed him a container.

"Thanks" replied Kouji.

"Happy birthday" said Sayuri and she hugged him quickly.

"Thanks but your mom knows you're here, right?" said Kouji and Sayuri shook her head "I'll phone her, then"

"No, I'm already leaving" said Sayuri.

"But I wanted you to stay a bit more" said Kouji.

"It's not right for a girl to stay at a boy's room" replied Sayuri.

"I've been twice at your room, you know" said Kouji "But if you want, we can go to…….well, I don't know because my father is at home"

"I'm leaving but I'll see you tomorrow" said Sayuri but Kouji grabbed her hand.

"It's dark and you could fall from the tree" he said "I don't care what my father will say but you won't leave by climbing that tree"

"And what are you going to tell him?" asked Sayuri.

"That I asked you to visit me" replied Kouji.

"Fine" said Sayuri and she spotted the katana "Can I take it?"

"Sure" replied Kouji and his friend unsheathed the katana.

"It's cool" commented Sayuri when she stumbled.

"Be careful, it's sharp and you could get hurt" warned Kouji but after a while, he didn't got a reply "Sayuri?

The katana fell to the floor and the black-haired girl fell backwards but Kouji caught her just in time. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing heavily.

"Wake up!" begged Kouji and he began shaking her "You can't fall asleep!"

It was useless. What if Sayuri was badly injured like last time? He couldn't do a thing to protect her, he couldn't fight against that sorcerer.

"Why? I'd use this katana to protect you" whispered Kouji while holding her and the katana "If I could do something"

Suddenly, everything went black around him and when he least expected, he found himself in a dark and empty dimension, where no sound could be heard but his own breath.

"Where am I?" he asked to himself while holding his katana.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Yeah! I'm done with chapter nine! I needed to delete many things and add others, that's why it was a bit long. But now, it's finished. By the way, I don't know a lot about kenjitsu but here's a definition that I found………

Kenjitsu: (Japan) The art of the sword or the sword art of professional warriors (bushi) which flourished the 9th century onward only to decline rapidly during the long period of peace (Edo period) just preceding the modern age.

I'm not an expert at describing fights and martial arts but I do what I can, sorry if you don't like it. I couldn't update sooner, many things to do (I have two weeks of exams), some blackouts the day I tried to continue writing this and my little brother wouldn't lend me the computer. =( Buaaaaaa…….life is so unfair and I don't have more sugar and chocolates…….sorry, I get weird sometimes. Well, I hope you enjoyed this and see you soon!

P.S. I don't know if the tradition about the mistletoe is right as I described it. I just don't know a lot about it and I would've investigated but I didn't have a lot of time. Sorry.

I Am A Sly Slytherin: Thanks for reviewing again! And I'm glad you continued reading and that you love this. By the way, what's your favorite character from the Harry Potter's books?

Misaki: Yippie! You reviewed again! Thank you! I didn't know that your friend was a pyromaniac but if she writes…..I wonder if she's burned some of her writings……About the miko clothes, I don't know how they're called but I do know what mikos are, the bad thing is that I don't know the names of their clothes. Oh, yeah……thanks for e-mailing me but what I meant is……..(I can't even explain myself……sniff) Sayuri's birthday was November 27th while Kouji's December 16th (at least in my story) Count the days in a calendar and you can also deduce another reason why they're 16. Poor you, I know what's like to be without sugar (but I miss my chocolates even more, especially because my mean little brother ate them) :::sniff::: I'm not sure about something that I'll write in the next chapter so I'd thank you a lot if you could e-mail me and try to guess why Kouji was sent to that dark place. (I was going to write something but I'm not convinced, I have two options)

P.S. Please tell your friends not to take away your sugar and that I also think that the =) =D =P things are KAWAII! 

P.S2 I'd write a longer answer but if I do, I won't have time to update so forgive me.

Evil One1: Thanks for continue reading. Yeah…….I know that you don't like long chapter but it's just that I like to write and write. Sorry. About he twins' birthday, I didn't know that but I'm not sure if you're referring to a page where you can find Bio, Pictures and Evolutions. Like explanations from where the names Beowulf and Garmmon come from. It also has a theory of how the twins were separated. About turning 16, I think the bad thing about growing is that you get busier. =( Well, thanks again and please continue reading.

Elven Sword: Thanks for reviewing and for the compliments. I didn't write more in that e-mail because I didn't want to spoil you the anime or something like that. I also like LOTR, the story is pretty good (but some names are difficult for me to memorize) My e-mail is mistress_of_darkness1987@hotmail.com, see you son!

Kana: Thanks again for reviewing! Yeah…..I know it hurt and I'll think what I can do to give some clues. See you!

Kara: Hi! Don't worry, I understand. I know I was quite mean with Sayuri-chan (Fine. I was pretty mean) But that sophomore hurt my feelings in some way ::::sniff:::: Remember that you can e-mail whenever you want, I'll use my brother's session to check my e-mail (it's faster than mine, I found out that yesterday) By the way, the following was thought by Sayuri:

_'And I think that  he'd be perfect for her. Too bad that she's not an assertive girl' _

See you soon!

~~~Li Kasumi


	10. Welcome to my world

Hi! =)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ THE LONEWOLF MEETS HIS MATCH 

By Li Kasumi

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon Frontier nor its characters. (Too bad or the twins would be mine) =P However, I own my original characters like Sayuri, Jiang Li, Taeko Nakajima, etc. (and don't steal them, please).  

Please read, enjoy and review. I apologize if my grammar is terrible but I do what I can =( To tell the truth, I didn't know how to begin this chapter, hope you like it. See you and please review!

**_'Italics'_****--thoughts**

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Darkness was filling an empty space while a long-haired teenager with a katana was rubbing his hands because of the cold. He studied the place and deduced that he was at the sorcerer's world, a place feared by his best friend.

"Sayuri?" he called but he got no reply.

Where was she? He couldn't see anything but his bright katana. It was shining in an odd way and he wondered if it had some kind of magic or something. He began walking and shivered slightly, he didn't have his jacket or something to cover and a strong wind was blowing.

Suddenly, he heard a howl and a maniacal laughter coming from the east. He ran into that way and his katana began shining even more.

"Sayuri!" he yelled.

The laughter died down and Kouji Minamoto was surrounded by a circle of fire. He could now see Sayuri Miyahara dodging a werewolf and trying to escape.

"Who are you?" demanded a deep voice.

"I'm Kouji Minamoto" replied the teenager.

"How did you come to my world, boy?" asked the sorcerer.

"I don't know but leave her alone!" replied Kouji.

"Hmm…….I don't know" replied the sorcerer calmly "It's supposed that I should please you because you're a visitor but I think that……..I can't grant your wish"

"Sayuri, I'm here!" yelled Kouji.

"What? You? Bu-" said Sayuri when she was almost bitten by the werewolf.

"Watch out! Hold on!" yelled Kouji and he was about to run towards her when a figure appeared in front of him.

"I can't let you help her" said Sen Otsuki.

He was standing just before Kouji and the teenager receded involuntarily. The sorcerer was showing his creepy appearance and pointing to him with a scepter.

"Who are you?" demanded Kouji.

"My name is Sen Otsuki, one of Asia's best sorcerers" was the reply.

"Leave her alone! What's she done to you?" demanded Kouji.

"It's my world and I make the rules" replied Otsuki and he noticed Kouji's arm "Ah……..a katana"

"What does it have to do with this?" snapped Kouji.

"Where did you get it, young man?" asked the sorcerer calmly.

"Mind your own business" was Kouji's reply "You've already got a scepter to hurt Sayuri, I won't let you hurt her with my katana"

"You're quite insolent, aren't you?" said Otsuki and he pointed at the werewolf with the scepter "You can attack this boy too"

The werewolf howled and the flames around Kouji disappeared, leaving him defenseless to an attack. But he was ready, he had his katana and knew how to use it.

"No! You must go! I can fight alone!" yelled Sayuri desperately as the werewolf ran in his friend's direction.

"You're forgetting that I have my katana" replied Kouji and he slashed the air with it "Come here, werewolf!"

"But you don't know how to use it, boy" said Otsuki "In my world, a katana can be pretty powerful when used well"

"What do you mean?" demanded Sayuri as she watched Kouji dodging the werewolf.

"Nothing that concerns you" replied the sorcerer.

Sen Otsuki watched Kouji fight with his pet. The boy was skillful with the katana and he was doing a good job, even if his energy was being slowly drained. But it was interesting the way he arrived to his world, it probably had to do with the katana. He could sense it, the spirit that resided in the samurai sword was strong and powerful, with a desire of protecting that he hadn't seen in centuries.

"This is all you can summon?" mocked Kouji after slashing the werewolf.

"No" replied the sorcerer and the werewolf vanished "I'm impressed"

"Your praises can't flatter me" said Kouji and he stumbled.

"Kouji!" exclaimed Sayuri and she ran to him "Are you okay?"

"You're exhausted, kid" said the sorcerer and he raised his scepter "Maybe, I should teach you a couple of things"

"No! I'm your target, not him!" begged Sayuri while helping Kouji to stand up.

"I can still fight with him and if I beat him, you'd be free" said Kouji and he raised the katana.

"Of course not. That's not how you break my curse" replied Otsuki "Let's see for how long you can endure"

"We'll see" said Kouji.

He was shivering from the cold but he watched Otsuki carefully, trying to guess his moves. When he least expected, the scepter disappeared from the sorcerer's hands only to appear behind him. The scepter began hitting the teenager on the head so Kouji used his katana as a shield.

"That wasn't fair!" reproached Sayuri.

Sen Otsuki frowned and she was thrown to the ground by an invisible force. Then, Kouji's katana was transformed into a stick and it was broken with the scepter. The sorcerer raised his hand and Kouji was lifted from where the ground was supposed to be.

"Don't worry, your precious katana will be fine in your world" said Otsuki and he threw Kouji "But you won't"

His scepter was transformed into a big sword and it pointed to Kouji's direction. It slowly started moving when Sayuri yelled.

"No! Leave him alone!" she begged.

Her feet started moving and when she least expected, she was acting like a human shield for the long-haired boy. Otsuki clapped and laughed, he was enjoying the show.

"Sayuri, move!" said Kouji.

"I'm afraid, young man……that both your spirit and mind are strong" declared Otsuki and he sighed "However, your body isn't"

"My body is strong" stated Kouji.

"Look at yourself, you're shivering uncontrollably and your energy is being drained" replied the sorcerer "Next time, bring another clothes"

"I can take care of myself" declared Kouji icily.

"Your clothes aren't very warming and you'd do anything to sleep right now" said Otsuki "Give up and go away"

"I won't be beaten by an evil spirit like you" declared Kouji and he suddenly felt warmer.

"Are you feeling better?" asked Sayuri, she had just covered him with her jacket.

"Awwwwww………how cute" mocked Otsuki and he received a couple of glares "But I thought it had to be the other way around, you know, a boy should lend his jacket to his girl"

"Sorry for disappointing you" replied Sayuri "Why is his energy being drained?"

"Because he's not used to this place and he had to pay the price for not bringing an invitation" said Otsuki "I wasn't planning to harm him but he's rebellious" 

"You should meet one of my teachers, you two would get along well" said a shivering Kouji "Send us to our world"

"You didn't say the magic word. Someone should teach you some modals" said Otsuki.

"Could you pretty please send us to our world?" asked Kouji sarcastically.

"Okay" replied the sorcerer and he clapped.

Everything went dark and then, the teenagers found themselves at Kouji's room. His katana was lying on the floor and Kouji was wearing Sayuri's jacket.

"I'll ask him to break the curse the next time I see him" commented Sayuri with sarcasm.

"Yes, please" replied Kouji weakly.

"Are you fine? Your lips are blue" said Sayuri worriedly.

"I'm just tired" replied Kouji but he was still shivering.

"Wait" said Sayuri.

She got up and removed the sheets from the bed to cover Kouji with them. The boy watched her take out some of his clothes and a bedspread from his closet and drawer without his permission.

"Your mom will be worried" commented Kouji.

"I don't think so. She doesn't know that I'm here and it's still early, it's……" said Sayuri and she glanced at an alarm clock "Two o'clock? But I left home……that sorcerer"

"It's snowing and you can't leave, it's dangerous" said Kouji and he yawned.

"But I can't stay" said Sayuri and she helped him to get up "Well, lay down and close your eyes, you need to rest"

"What will you do?" asked Kouji as he laid down on his bed "Father and Satomi must be asleep"

"I'll leave before six o'clock, just lend me some clothes" replied Sayuri as she covered him with the sheets "Thank you"

"You're welcome" replied Kouji barely conscious, he was falling asleep "Wait! Where will you sleep?"

"On the floor, of course" said Sayuri and she rubbed her eyes "Good night"

"Sleep on my bed, you're my guest so I'll sleep on the floor" said Kouji but Sayuri shook her head "Well, the bed is big and you could…….sleep here too" 

"What?" exclaimed Sayuri, her cheeks turning pink.

"Don't take it wrong, we can put a pillow in the middle" said Kouji, pretty drowsy "Or I'll sleep on the floor"

"I think I have no choice" replied Sayuri and she put a pillow on the middle of the bed before lying down "But don't try anything or I'll……Kouji?"

The boy was fast asleep and Sayuri smiled. He deserved a rest after fighting with the werewolf. Once she was sure that he was covered, she let herself fall asleep.

~*~*~*~*~************~*~*~*~*~

The next day, Sayuri was watching Kouji with concern. After leaving his home, he was still sleeping but looked quite pale and he was coughing. They were now at the shrine, but Kouji was lying asleep on a bed and Akiko placed a hand on her son's forehead after removing a wet piece of cloth.

"His fever isn't going down" said the blue-haired woman worriedly.

"He should've stayed at home instead of going to school" commented Sayuri.

"I'm surprised that Kousei didn't notice that Kouji was ill" said Akiko.

"He probably didn't notice because Kouji left quickly and pretty early" said Sayuri "Luckily, vacations have begun and he won't miss school"

"Hmm……wh-here…." muttered the feverish teenager.

"How are you feeling? It's me" said Akiko, rushing to her son's side.

"Mom? You're here?" asked Kouji and he coughed "Where's Sayuri?"

"I'm over here" said Sayuri and she got closer to him "Be a good boy and rest, you've got a fever"

"How did I end up here? We were…..at school" said Kouji.

"You don't remember? Mr. Kumazawa noticed you were feverish and asked me to take you to the nursery. Then, I phoned your mom and because classes ended today, the principal let me leave with you" explained Sayuri.

"I'll go for chicken soup, you must eat something" said Akiko "Sayuri, please take care of him while I'm gone"

"Sure" replied the girl.

"Where are we?" asked Kouji.

"At the shrine but don't talk, you need to rest" replied Sayuri and she began stroking his hair.

A knock was heard and Kouichi entered. He was carrying a tray with chicken soup, tablets and a glass of water. He stared at Sayuri and then at Kouji with a not so innocent smile.

"I hope I don't interrupt something" he said.

"Of course not" said Sayuri quite surprised by his presence "Did your mom send you?"

"Not exactly. I wanted to check on my brother" replied Kouichi and he _innocently_ added "And to make sure you don't try something on him while he's defenseless"

"You and your dirty thoughts" replied Sayuri coolly.

"What do you mean?" asked Kouichi, trying to sound innocent "I was talking about you hitting him with your fan. I think you're the one who's got dirty thoughts"

"Well…….don't you have something to do? I won't hit Kouji with my fan" said Sayuri, quite embarrassed "I can take care of him"

"I also want to take care of him, he's my little brother" said Kouichi.

"Then, hand me the chicken soup, please" said Sayuri "He needs to eat"

"Sure" replied Kouichi.

He got closer with a spoon and a bowl of chicken soup and handed them to Sayuri. Then, he gently moved Kouji and Sayuri asked the younger twin to open his mouth. 

                                                   ~*******************************************~

"He's sleeping again" commented Kouichi.

"He needs to rest" said Sayuri.

"You like him a lot, don't you?" commented Kouichi "He also likes you a lot. You two should be an item"

"I'm going for tea" said Sayuri.

"Coward" muttered Kouichi enough loud for Sayuri to hear him.

"You could never understand. My life will be short" said the girl and she left the room, leaving Kouichi puzzled.

Then, she went to her room and locked it. It was her fault that Kouji was sick, if he hadn't gone to the sorcerer's world he'd be okay and happy instead of being ill and restless. Besides, he should've enjoyed his birthday instead of fighting with a werewolf and meeting the sorcerer.

Sayuri shook her head, she was like a charm of bad luck for the lonewolf. The only good things that he had received from her were the facts that he found out that his mother wasn't dead and that he had a twin brother.

When she least expected, she heard Mr. Minamoto's voice, he had arrived to the shrine and it seemed that he wasn't in a good mood. She unlocked the door and opened it, she wanted to know what was going on and went to eavesdrop.

"………and I'm taking care of him" said Akiko.

"I know that you're a good mother but I can't let Kouji stay at this place" replied Kousei "Please, understand me"

"Like when you told me: 'I think our marriage isn't working and we should divorce'?" snapped Akiko and she shook her head "Not this time, I want to take care of my son"

"You can come to my house and take care of him, just let me take him far from this place" pleaded Kousei.

"Why? Give me a good reason" said Akiko.

"Because there's something wrong with these people. Haven't you heard? Every Miyahara has had a mysterious death and that girl, she's strange" said Kousei.

"Sayuri is serious and quiet but that doesn't make her strange" said Akiko.

"I know but there's something about her that……..that……." said Kousei, trying to look for the correct words.

"That scares you and makes you want to avoid her, like if there was an evil aura surrounding her" completed another person.

"Exactly" said Kousei and he receded after realizing that the one who completed his sentence was Sayuri "You?"

"Mrs. Kimura……he could be right" said Sayuri and she looked away "Maybe, I should………..I should avoid Kouji once he recovers from his fever"

"No, he wouldn't want that" said Akiko and she smiled sweetly at the girl "Besides, he'd feel sad and betrayed"

"But……" replied Sayuri.

"Please check on him and don't listen to this man" said Akiko.

"Hmm………okay" replied Sayuri "Excuse me"

"Now that she's gone, I think we can continue with our argument" said Akiko.

"She's strange" stated Kousei "I don't like her nor her mother"

"Because Jiang Li was the one who found out that Kouichi is Kouji's twin and that I'm not dead?" asked Akiko.

"That woman didn't have the right to meddle in our lives" said Kousei.

"And you didn't have the right to lie to Kouji" said Akiko "Let him stay here, we shouldn't move him and he needs to rest"

"Fine but don't let that girl get too close to him" said Kousei "I'll come later to know how he's doing, goodbye"

After saying that, he muttered something that sounded like 'That girl is weird' and began his way to the door. He left the house and the shrine, wondering why his younger son liked that girl.

                                            ~************************************************~

"How are you feeling?" asked Kouichi to his brother once he woke up.

"I think I'm fine" replied Kouji "I'm feeling better"

"That's great because my sister-in-law was worried" said Kouichi.

"Who's your sister-in-law? I thought you didn't have a girlfriend" said Kouji.

"Forget it" replied Kouichi after slapping his own forehead "By the way, didn't father let you come yesterday?"

"He doesn't even let me get close to the shrine" said Kouji "Where's Sayuri?"

"She's cooking dinner" replied Kouichi "By the way, did I tell you that I like to blackmail people?"

"What do you mean?" asked Kouji.

"I have the photo and in your sleep you were muttering: 'Sayuri, I love you' and other mushy things" said Kouichi and giggled after seeing how Kouji's face colored "You were also kissing the pillow and hugging it"

"That's not true and I'm not a mushy person!" declared Kouji, wondering if Kouichi was telling the truth.

"You were feverish but you sounded so sincere and sure of yourself, like if you were proposing her or something like that" said Kouichi.

"You're lying" said Kouji.

Kouichi giggled. His brother had never muttered in his sleep nor kissed and hugged the pillow but it was so funny to tease him. It was just that Kouji and Sayuri wouldn't admit that they liked at each other and he had to do something. But he wasn't playing matchmaker only to help them but also to have some fun.

"Ah! You're awake! Are you feeling better?" asked Sayuri once she entered the room with a tray.

"Hmm……..yes" replied Kouji, his cheeks still colored.

"Are you sure?" said Sayuri and she went to touch his forehead "I don't get it, your forehead isn't as hot as earlier but your face is flushed"

"I'm fine" said Kouji and he nervously asked "Do you know if I muttered something in my sleep?"

"No while I was here" replied Sayuri "Why don't you ask Kouichi?"

"I don't think so" said Kouji and he coughed "By the way, where's your mom?"

"She went to Tokyo because she had a meeting. That's why she didn't stay but she let you stay" replied Sayuri "Are you hungry?"

"Yes" said Kouji.

"What about you?" asked Sayuri to Kouichi.

"I'm also hungry" replied the older twin.

"I brought tea for you two but I'll go for your dinner" said Sayuri "Wait here"

"Thanks" chorused the twins before she left.

~*~*~*~*~**********~*~*~*~*~

The next day, Kouji woke up at the Miyahara shrine and he got up. His mother was sleeping on a rocking chair and she was covered by blankets. And Sayuri? Where was she? The teenager tiptoed and left the room, feeling disappointed that his friend didn't stay in the same room to take care of him. 

He was thirsty and went to the kitchen, just to find his friend washing the dishes. She hadn't even noticed that he was there so she continued with her chores.

"So here you are…….." commented the younger twin, making Sayuri jump and break one dish.

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack? You scared me!" reproached the girl.

"Sorry" said Kouji.

"You're feeling better" stated Sayuri.

"Of course. I'm not a weakling like that sorcerer said" replied Kouji.

"Anyways, it'd be great to be your nurse" said Sayuri "You'd be my cute and handsome patient"

"You're embarrassing me" said Kouji.

"Why? You looked really cute in that photo" said Sayuri and she giggled after receiving a glare "Come on. You were really cute when you were a little boy"

"I don't like to be called cute, it's embarrassing and I feel like a kind of fluffy doll" said Kouji with his arms crossed.

"It'd be nice…….to have a fluffy doll that resembled you" said Sayuri between giggles "I could make one"

"There's no way you're going to make a fluffy doll with my appearance" said Kouji.

"Fine" said Sayuri and she smiled "Let me show you the turtle"

"That's better" replied Kouji.

"Wait here" said Sayuri.

After saying that, she went to her room for the turtle while Kouji drank a glass of water. Then, she returned with a small turtle in a blue fishbowl.

"Say hi" said Sayuri.

"I like it" declared Kouji and he meditated the name "I'll call it Umi"

"Nice name" said Sayuri "Now, you'll have a good friend at home"

"But I'll still miss you" said Kouji.

"I know" said Sayuri and she sighed "But maybe you shouldn't spend all your time with me, you fell ill because of me"

"But I'm glad to have helped you. You could be severely injured now" replied Kouji.

"Do you think you can come this December 24th? I'd like to give you something" said Sayuri.

"Of course" replied Kouji "Holidays have just begun and we could…….go to the park or to watch a movie"

"That'd be nice" said Sayuri and she began playing with her fingers "We could also shop together. I'll have to buy something for my…….family"

"When will your grandmother arrive?" asked Kouji.

"Before Christmas, that's all I know" replied Sayuri "She's strict so please try to be polite with her and grandpa, he's pretty nice"

"I suppose he's as cheerful as your mom" said Kouji.

"Yeah……I can't understand why he married grandmother, she's never been a cheerful woman" said Sayuri.

"Well, don't think in her now" said Kouji "Do you want me to help you with something?"

"No! I mean….no, I can cook alone, thanks" replied Sayuri and she practically pushed him out of the kitchen "Why don't you stay at the living room or at the room where you slept?"

"Fine. I'll look for Kouichi" said Kouji, faking to be hurt by her comments "He'd appreciate my help in whatever he were going to do"

"Don't be like that" said Sayuri and she sighed "Fine. You can help me"

_'Why do I have the feeling that I'll regret this?'_ she thought.

                                                                       ****************************

An hour later, smoke was coming from the kitchen so Jiang Li entered it and found Kouji struggling with the oven. She understood why her daughter delayed last month at his house. 

Sayuri helped Kouji and she politely asked him to leave the kitchen. Minutes later, she served breakfast while Kouichi was having fun teasing Kouji.

Everybody thanked for the meals and started eating. They chatted and joked, they seemed like a big family and the shrine was filled with joy.

~*~*~*~*~************~*~*~*~*~

"So you won't come?" asked a amber-eyed girl.

"No, your brother wants to spend time with me" replied a black-haired woman "I know you don't want to go but you can learn things about Japan"

"Yes, mom" replied the girl "Excuse me"

"Wait!" called the woman and her daughter stopped walking "Your father phoned yesterday and he wants to talk with you before you leave"

"I'll phone him, then" replied the girl.

_'Japan…….I wonder what I will find there…….'_ she thought.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Phew……..chapter tenth is done. By the way, there's a person beside me. (She's a friend but she also wants to write her comments in this chapter) She'll address herself as FRIEND (That's silly)

FRIEND: I'll think in a good nickname later.

Anyways, I delayed because I had written half of the chapter but then, I decided that I didn't like what I wrote and erased it.

FRIEND: She does that so often.

Well, like you can see, Yi Jie, Wen Tang and Sayuri's grandfather (I haven't decided the name yet) will arrive to Japan in the next chapter.

FRIEND: Choose a random name. She also wants to know about grammar because she's got doubts. Is it making dinner or cooking dinner? She has the same doubts about breakfast.

Stop interrupting. I can believe that I'm letting you write in my story. Well, I think that's all for now.

FRIEND: She won't write more because I'm here. (I'm blackmailing her)

You're evil =P

FRIEND: I'm honored for your compliments

Hey! I can use that phrase, thanks!

FRIEND: Humph!

misaki: **Thanks for continue reading and reviewing. Like you can see, you're not the only one who's got friends that won't let you do what you want.**

FRIEND- But I'm the nicest person in all the world, I'm an angel.

**See? **sigh*** I should eat sugar too**

FRIEND: Why? You don't need sugar to laugh. Li Kasumi laughs about everything (when she's in the mood) and I can scare her easily, I know a lot of tricks. MWAHAHAHAHA

Hey! Stop bugging me, FRIEND (or I won't let you write more) **Patience. I agree with you but like I wrote in last chapter, I tried to write but I think bad luck was surrounding me **

FRIEND: But classes ended sooner because of the weather! Yuppieeeeee! 

**I checked my e-mail just before I updated and I loved your idea. But I'll reserve it for later (the last chapters or maybe for the end) You know, to leave the best for the end. You're evil and I like that! **

FRIEND- That's not true. I'm also evil and she often tries to kill me

**About sugar……..eat it! It's nice to eat sugar with friends…….except with the girl beside me…….she never lets me eat it. Well, bye and see you soon!**

FRIEND- See you!

LonelyWindFairy: **Well, thanks for reading and reviewing. And for adding my story to your favorites. I never thought that someone whom favorite's character were Izumi would ever read my story.**

FRIEND- Izumi? Whos' that?

The blonde girl from Digimon Frontier.

FRIEND- Ahhh! The one who reminds us of……

Exactly. **Like I wrote before, I never thought that a Izumi fan would read my story but thank you. I hope you like it and I'll understand if you don't ever review or read my stories.**

FRIEND- Because we don't like Kouzumi or Kouizumi stories

**Anyways, thank you again and to tell the truth, I didn't know what to reply. See you and good luck!**

I Am A Sly Slytherin: **I also like Hermione.**

FRIEND- Because she kinda reminds of herself. Li Kasumi also likes to read and she worries about her grades and all that stuff. But she's not exactly like Hermione.

**Thanks for continue reviewing and reading, hope you like this chapter too!**

Evil One: **Thanks for continue reading and reviewing. By the way, I read your latest story, reviewed it and liked it a lot. I think the only thing I didn't like was the fact that the names of places are quite hard for me to remember. I also read your bio and if you want help with the Spanish subject ask me. My first language is Spanish.**

FRIEND- Or you can ask me too. But her grammar and spelling is better than mine. But the word is Nada not Nadda. And her brother is 4 months older than you. Don't worry if she remembers or not, she's absent-minded

**I had fun with your quiz. I also disliked Social Studies and I love Pirates of the Caribbean. I've never listened to the song "Unwell" but I've read the lyrics and I was planning to use it in one of my stories.**

FRIEND- But she changes of mind often or forgets what she was planning to do. And she went to see Pirates of the Caribbean because of Orlando Bloom..

So? He's hot! **Well, I tell you more about myself in the next chapter. As long as certain person disappears**

FRIEND- But….but I'm your friend ++++sniff++++ You're evil!

You're also evil and stop interrupting.  **See you and don't mind my friend.**

FRIEND- See you and don't review the story of my worst enemy!

***sigh** Fine. I'm sorry. Now, get a grip.

~~~Li Kasumi

+++FRIEND: I'll be here for the next chapter

Don't count on that

~~~Li Kasumi


	11. Maybe

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~                                                  THE LONEWOLF MEETS HIS MATCH 

By Li Kasumi

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon Frontier nor its characters. (Too bad or the twins would be mine) =P However, I own my original characters like Sayuri, Jiang Li, Taeko Nakajima, etc. (and don't steal them, please).  

Please read, enjoy and review. I apologize if my grammar is terrible but I do what I can =(  See you and please review! By the way, I don't know how far Hong Kong is from Japan and I'm terrible at Geography so don't get mad if what I write isn't accurate.

**_'Italics'_****--thoughts**

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

An amber-eyed girl was looking through the window of a plane. Why did she have to go to Japan? She wondered about her aunt and cousin, they preferred that place over Hong Kong. She smiled sadly and sighed, it was obvious why both her aunt and cousin preferred Japan……….they were free in that country.

Meanwhile, her grandmother was talking with her grandfather about her aunt Jiang Li and her cousin Sayuri. The Chinese woman was interested in meeting the boy that gave Sayuri a music box.

_'I wonder if he is rebellious and naughty'_ thought Yi Jie.

"Please fasten your belts, we're arriving to Shibuya" announced the air hostess.

"Shibuya……" whispered Yi Jie.

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~*~

Kouichi Kimura was playing the piano at the shrine. Jiang Li and Akiko had gone shopping while Sayuri and Kouji were playing checkers. He was bored and he'd tease his brother but he couldn't get ideas. Well, he'd think in something later, he wanted to concentrate in his music.

He was playing a sweet melody that he learned years ago but he wasn't sure who had composed it. Anyways, he liked that melody a lot and he had mastered it. He was so concentrated in it that he didn't hear the ring of the bell and didn't see Sayuri walk past the living room to open the door.

Outside, the Tang family was waiting. Yi Jie was shivering, she didn't like cold and she'd do anything to be at Hong Kong instead of being at Japan.

"Grandmother!" exclaimed Sayuri in a mix of surprise and horror once she opened the door and she immediately regained her composure "I'm sorry for delaying"

"It's okay" said her grandfather, Zhou Tang.

"Come in, please. I'll help you with your luggage" said Sayuri and she did as she said.

"I can handle myself" said her grandfather "Thank you"

The foursome entered the house and they immediately listened to the music. Wen Tang raised an eyebrow and she spotted Kouichi playing the piano. The Chinese woman didn't interrupt his performance, she was enjoying the melody the boy was playing.

She wondered if he was the boy that gave her granddaughter the music box. She was amazed that such a sensitive boy could befriend Sayuri. He seemed to be really enjoying the melody and once he ended playing it, she clapped.

"I hadn't met a boy that were so talented" she said.

Yi Jie looked from her to Kouichi and remained silent. She was still shivering but she also liked the melody that Kouichi was playing. She knew it so well………….it was 'Toki' by a Japanese pianist and she loved it.

A second later, Kouichi slowly turned his head and was surprised to see a woman and a girl. But he also noticed that the girl was shivering. He reacted and smiled at them.

"Good afternoon. I'm Kouichi Kimura and thank for your compliments" he greeted, standing up gracefully and extending his hand "Nice to meet you"

"Good afternoon" replied Wen Tang and she shook hands with him but her granddaughter remained silent "I'm Wen Tang"

"Are you okay? You're shivering" said Kouichi to Yi Jie and he took off his green jacket "Here"

"…..Thank you, sir" replied Yi Jie shyly.

"You're welcome" said Kouichi "Are you Sayuri's relatives?"

"Yes. I'm her grandmother" replied Wen Tang and she blinked.

That boy……he had called her younger granddaughter by her name. It had to be him. But how? He was polite, talented and good-looking. Then, she understood why Sayuri was befriending him. His eyes, his hair…….they were blue, Sayuri's favorite color.

Meanwhile, Kouichi sneaked a glance at Yi Jie, she was quite different from Sayuri. Her eyes were amber instead of hazel and she was quite shorter but she was still tall and slender. She was slightly tanned unlike the small lily and her chestnut hair was short, barely below her shoulders. She was wearing a long-sleeved blouse and pink leggings, she also had a golden bracelet.

Then, he turned his glance to the woman before him. Pale face and dark hair like Jiang Li Miyahara, but her gray eyes weren't full of happiness. She was elegant and beautiful, with an air that demanded respect and intimidated him in a way he couldn't describe.

"Yi Jie, you haven't introduced yourself" scolded Wen.

"I'm sorry. I'm Yi Jie Tang. Nice to meet you" said the Chinese girl and she shook hands with Kouichi.

"Tang?" repeated Kouichi.

"I see you've already met my grandmother and my cousin" said Sayuri as soon as she got to the living room "Please stay with them. I'll phone mom and go for Kouji"

"Sure" replied Kouichi.

"Kouji? Who's Kouji?" asked Wen Tang and Sayuri turned to face her.

"A friend" replied the girl and she was about to leave.

"Sayuri, haven't offered them tea or something?" pointed out Kouichi and Wen glanced him "Or told them that they can sit?"

"Right. I'm sorry" said Sayuri "Why don't you two sit while I phone mom?"

"You should be ashamed of yourself, this boy has more manners than you" said Wen and Sayuri rolled her eyes.

The small lily left Kouichi with her relatives and went to her room. She phoned her mom and told Kouji what was going on. She also asked him to be polite with her grandmother and act as the finest gentleman. Then, they went to the living room.

"……….you like playing piano, drawing and reading" said Wen Tang and the older twin nodded.

"My granddaughter also plays the piano" commented an old man and he turned to Yi Jie "Why don't you play something?"

The old man was Zhou Tang, Sayuri's grandfather. He was bald and slightly tanned, with a white mustache and amber eyes. Like Jiang Li, he was cheerful and understanding, not to mention that he was very patient.

"That's a good idea, grandpa" said Sayuri from behind and she pointed at Kouji "He's Kouji Minamoto"

"Good afternoon" greeted the younger twin "Nice to meet you"

"Twins?" asked Mr. Tang.

"Yes, sir" replied Kouji and he began shaking hands.

"Your last name is Minamoto whi-" started Wen Tang.

"Their parents are divorced" interrupted Sayuri "Kouji lives with his father while Kouichi lives with his mother"

"You interrupted me, young lady" said Mrs. Tang icily.

"I'm sorry" said Sayuri.

"Where's Jiang Li?" asked her grandfather, trying to break the tension between his wife and his granddaughter.

"She went shopping with Mrs. Kimura" replied Sayuri "Their mother"

"Well, like I was saying. Why don't you play something for us, Yi Jie?" asked Mr. Tang.

"Yes, grandfather" replied the amber-eyed girl and she got up from the sofa gracefully.

She elegantly walked to the piano and sat. Then, she began playing a soft melody while everyone listened to her. The melody was quite difficult but Yi Jie knew what to do and she really felt the music while remembering some of her memories.

Wen Tang insisted that her granddaughters should be cultured and refined ladies so she inscribed them in a renown arts academy at Hong Kong when they were only seven.

Yi Jie, like Kouichi, showed more talent playing the piano than painting, she liked playing soft melodies. Sayuri, on the other hand, preferred to paint landscapes or portraits. After a while, Yi Jie stopped playing and everyone clapped but her grandmother.

"Utsukushii Omoide" commented Kouichi "You play the piano very well"

"But she had a fatal mistake" pointed out Mrs. Tang.

"A mistake?" asked Yi Jie softly.

"You didn't play an important note" said Kouichi "But other than that, it was pretty good"

"Thank you for your constructive criticism and praises, sir" replied Yi Jie.

"Yi Jie, he is younger than you" said Sayuri "His birthday was last Thursday, stop calling him sir"

"And she's older than you so you have no right to scold her" said Ms. Tang.

"I'm sorry, madam" said Sayuri "Would you like a cup of tea or coffee?"

"Yes, please" replied her grandfather "A cup of tea would be nice"

"I'd like a cup of coffee" replied her grandmother "I was wondering when you'd ask that"

"Yi Jie, what about you? Would you like a cup of tea? Or maybe coffee?" asked Sayuri.

"A cup of tea, please" replied her cousin.

"What about you two?" asked Sayuri, referring to the twins.

"No, thanks" they replied.

"May I help you?" asked Kouji to Sayuri.

"No, thank you" replied the girl quickly "Why don't you tell them about you while I'm gone?"

"But you'll need help wi-" said Kouji.

"Don't worry, I'll come back soon" interrupted Sayuri and she received a cold glance from Wen "Excuse me"

"So, Mr. Minamoto, what's your relationship with my granddaughter?" asked Wen Tang.

"I'm her friend" replied Kouji.

"Do you also play the piano?" asked Mr. Tang.

"No, but I play the guitar" replied Kouji and Wen Tang frowned "I'm quite different from my brother"

"Yes, that's why Sayuri prefers him" said Kouichi "He practices martial arts with her most of the time"

"That makes sense, my granddaughter loves practicing martial arts" said Mr. Tang.

"Yes, but it's surprising that she can't dance" commented Wen Tang reprovingly "She's such a klutz"

"Sayuri's not the best dancer but she is a great cook and baker" declared Kouji defensively "Besides, she's smart and she has a melodic voice"

"So you were the one who gave her the music box?" asked Wen Tang.

"Yes, madam" replied Kouji firmly.

"Here's the tea and the coffee" said Sayuri once she returned with a tray.

"Thank you" replied the Tangs before taking the cups.

"I'd like to know why Jiang Li is delaying" commented Mr. Tang.

_'It's obvious why, I'd also delay if I knew that my grandmother had arrived to my house'_ thought Sayuri.

"Sayuri, could you bring your music box?" asked Wen Tang.

"Why?" asked Sayuri.

"I'd like to listen to it" replied her grandmother.

"Fine" said Sayuri and she was about to leave once more when Jiang Li and Akiko arrived.

"Good afternoon" greeted both women.

"Good afternoon" replied everyone but them.

"This is Akiko Kimura" introduced Jiang Li "Akiko, these are my parents and my niece"

"Nice to meet you" said Akiko.

The Tangs greeted back and Jiang Li began talking with them. She was glad that they had already listened to Kouichi playing the piano. They agreed that the older twin was talented and even Wen Tang praised him.

"We'll leave after New Year" stated Mrs. Tang.

"What about Xia He? Will she come?" asked Jiang Li.

"I don't think so. Xu will spend Christmas with her" replied Zhou Tang.

"Well, Yi Jie could go with Sayuri, Kouji and Kouichi to the amusement park tomorrow" suggested Jiang Li "She'll be bored if she stays at the shrine all day"

"That's a good idea" said Zhou Tang "Would you like to go to the amusement park with them, Yi Jie?"

"Y-Yes" replied the Chinese girl shyly.

"You'll have fun" said Jiang Li "Sayuri will take care of you"

"I'm tired, auntie" said Yi Jie softly and barely audible "Would you mind if I go to my room?"

"Of course not" replied Jiang Li "Sayuri, please take your cousin to her room"

"Sure" said Sayuri "Excuse us"

"I think we should get going" commented Akiko "We'll leave once Sayuri returns"

"Yes, it's snowing" said Jiang Li "Thank you for shopping with me"

"You're welcome. I had fun" replied Akiko.

"I left Yi Jie at her room" announced Sayuri once she returned.

"Well, we're leaving" said Akiko "I hope to see you soon"

"I'll accompany you to the arch" offered Sayuri instantly.

"Thanks" replied Akiko.

"Goodbye" said the twins almost at the same time.

"Goodbye" replied the Tangs.

"Sayuri, you're only accompanying them to the arch" said Jiang Li.

"I know" replied the girl.

She left with Akiko, Kouichi and Kouji. Zhou Tang smiled at his daughter and watched his granddaughter walk with the twins and Mrs. Kimura. Once they were gone, he spoke.

"Sayuri looks more cheerful now" he commented.

"Yes, she enjoys their company" replied Jiang Li.

"But she likes Minamoto much more than Kimura" said Wen Tang "It's such a shame, Kimura is so talented and polite"

"Kouji met Sayuri before Kouichi. She also likes Kouichi but she's known Kouji since we returned from Hong Kong" said Jiang Li.

"She's delaying" pointed out Wen Tang.

"Well, she must be talking with the twins" said Jiang Li.

"Or with one of them" said Wen Tang and she frowned "Minamoto is quite insolent"

"He only rooted for Sayuri after you called her a klutz, he wasn't being insolent" said Zhou Tang "I think he likes her enough to tell us about her qualities"

"Maybe you're right" said Wen Tang "Besides, it would've been strange to find that my granddaughter had befriended a polite and gifted boy"

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

The next day, four teenagers were at an amusement park. It was cold and cloudy but it wasn't snowing like the day before. There were many places where they could go and have fun.

"Where should we go first?" asked Kouichi.

"I don't know" said Sayuri.

"We could walk around and if we get interested about a place, we'll just visit it" suggested Kouji.

"That's a good idea" said Kouichi "Miss Tang, is there something you'd like to do in special?"

"No, but thank you, sir" replied Yi Jie.

"Is there something wrong? You don't look very cheerful" said Kouichi.

"I'm fine, sir" replied Yi Jie.

"I bet you miss auntie Xia He" said Sayuri "Come on. You can't be reading or playing the piano all day"

"Why not? I'd like to play the piano all day" said Kouichi.

"Let's go" said Kouji after rolling his eyes.

"A roller coaster! I'd like to go there" said Sayuri once she spotted it.

"That's fine with me" said Kouji.

"Yi Jie, would you like to come?" asked Sayuri "I forgot that you don't like that kind of attractions"

"I'd prefer to stay here" replied the Chinese girl.

"Then, I guess we could go to some other attraction, I can't leave you alone" said Sayuri quite disappointed.

"I can stay here with your cousin and you can ride it with Kouji" said Kouichi.

"You're a genius! Yi Jie, would you mind if I leave you with Kouichi? You could talk with him about many things, he also likes to read" said Sayuri.

"That's fine with me" replied the Chinese girl "Thank you"

"Great! Then, let's go, Kouji!" said Sayuri.

"Before you leave, I must talk with you, Kouji" said Kouichi.

"What is it?" asked the younger twin.

"Listen carefully" said Kouichi and he whispered "If she gets scared, you could hug her or something"

"Kouichi!" reproached Kouji and he left with Sayuri.

"Too bad I didn't bring a camera" commented Kouichi.

"Thank you for staying with me, sir" the Chinese girl suddenly said.

"You're welcome" replied Kouichi, quite surprised to listen her talking "You can call me Kouichi. I feel old when you call me sir, we're of the same age"

"I'm not used to call a boy by his name but I'll try" said Yi Jie.

"Would you like a cotton candy or something?" asked Kouichi.

"I guess that'd be nice" replied Yi Jie.

"Let's go for it!" said Kouichi and he began walking with Yi Jie.

"So, you're Sayuri's friend" stated Yi Jie.

"I guess but she's more like my sister-in-law" replied Kouichi and he laughed "Kouji and Sayuri would make a nice couple but they're so shy……"

"You also play the piano very well" commented Yi Jie.

"Thank you" said Kouichi and he pointed to a place with lots of stuffed animals "Hey, would you like one?"

"A stuffed animal?" asked Yi Jie and Kouichi nodded "But I'm clumsy and I won't be able to hit the bottles"

"Leave that to me" said Kouichi and he walked with her until he was facing a man "I would like to try to get a prize"

Kouichi paid and he hit the bottles with the balls he received. Due to that, he won a stuffed bunny that he gave to Yi Jie just after receiving it.

"It's not very big but I think it's cute" said Kouichi but Yi Jie didn't move "Ah…..you don't like it"

"Of course I do. It's cute and fluffy" replied Yi Jie and she hugged the stuffed bunny tightly "Thanks a lot. It's the first time a boy gives me a stuffed animal"

"Really? Why? You don't have a boyfriend yet?" asked Kouichi and Yi Jie shook her head "You should get one"

"But I'm not very popular" said Yi Jie and they began walking again "No boy at school would ever set his eyes on me. Besides, my grandmother and my brother Xu won't let me have a boyfriend"

"So you've got an overprotective brother" said Kouichi and Yi Jie nodded "What do you like to do? Sayuri said you liked to read"

"Yes, I like to read" replied Yi Jie and she sighed "I also like to see Sayuri's paintings, she's talented unlike me"

"Sayuri paints? I didn't know that" said Kouichi.

"I've tried to paint but I'm so clumsy that I always end staining the floor and my grandmother scolds me" said Yi Jie.

"But if you were clumsy, you wouldn't play the piano so well" said Kouichi "Maybe, you're only a nervous person"

"Maybe……" said Yi Jie.

"If you want, I could give you some tips to draw" said Kouichi "I'm not very good at drawing and painting but I think my drawings aren't bad"

"Thank you" replied Yi Jie.

"Yi Jie! Kimura!" called Sayuri while running after them with Kouji.

"Hi!" said Kouichi once he turned to see his brother and Sayuri.

"Where did you go? We couldn't find you when we get off the roller coaster" said Kouji.

"I'm sorry but we were looking for cotton candy" replied Kouichi.

"And that stuffed bunny?" asked Sayuri.

"I won it for your cousin" replied Kouichi.

"Would you like one too?" asked Kouji.

"Of course not. I'm old enough to like those things" replied Sayuri "Why would I want a stuffed animal?"

"Calm down. I was only asking you" said Kouji "Let's go for the cotton candy"

"And how was your ride?" asked Kouichi.

"It was funny" replied Kouji and he giggled "Especially because Sayuri screamed in the last ride"

"Don't make fun of me, Kouji Minamoto" said Sayuri, quite embarrassed "You got scared too. I could tell it by the look in your face"

"You'll argue later. Let's go for the cotton candy" said Kouichi.

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

"How cute! Where did you get it?" asked Jiang Li as soon as she saw the stuffed bunny in Yi Jie's arms, she was waiting for them at the arch.

"Kouichi gave it to her" replied Kouji.

"We should get going, Mrs. Miyahara" said Kouichi "Mom is waiting for me at home and my brother should go _home_"

"Yes. I understand" said Jiang Li "Take care and thanks for accompanying them to the amusement park"

"You're welcome" replied Kouji.

"Bye" said Sayuri.

"I hope to see you soon" Yi Jie unexpectedly said.

"Me too. See you!" greeted back Kouichi.

"It seems you had fun, Yi Jie" commented Jiang Li once the twins had left "I'm happy for you"

"Thank you, auntie" replied the Chinese girl.

Maybe, Japan wasn't as bad as she thought and the stuffed bunny was very cute. Yi Jie glanced at the direction where the twins left and she muttered a 'thank you'. She had even talked with the boy she had just met the day before and she could talk freely with him, like if they were old friends. Maybe it was because he was another pianist and could understood her in many ways, maybe………..

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hi! Fortunately for me, "FRIEND" agreed not to come so often when I write my chapters. By the way, the name of the melodies are from Inuyasha's tracks but I don't own the rights. I read the names in a webpage that has the meanings, I'll write them in the next chapter. Anyways, thanks for reading and reviewing.

Wheeeee! This Saturday 13th will be my anniversary at FFNET! ***sniff*** I feel so happy ***sniff***

**_I have to travel so I'll probably not update next week until holidays are over. I'm staying at my uncle's place and his computer is at his office_** (I must take a mental note of killing him) But unlike two of my stories, I'll update as soon as I can because I know what I'll write next. It also depends in my grades, they're good but mom won't let me get the computer until she sees them. (I wonder why, I get good grades)

Evil One1: Thanks for reading and reviewing again! About Orlando Bloom, well, he's handsome =) I'm 16 and I must admit that he looks so cute and hot as Legolas and as Will. But I also loved the movie, it made me laugh (especially when Jack talked about what happened to him and the slaps…….that was so funny!)  =P And don't get mad, I was just trying to help you with your spelling about Nada. But it's original the way you wrote that phrase. Well, hope you update soon. But I better not ask you that because I'm not even sure if I'll be able to read it. I must travel and won't have access to Internet -_- See you!

wand3ringspirit: Thanks for your review. Yes, I know my story is OOC but things didn't turn as I planned. You see, I had in mind a lot of things but I ended writing other things. Ask FRIEND. I didn't want to make Kouji-kun so OOC but well……..Anyways, hope to see you soon! =)

I Am A Sly Slytherin: Thanks for continue reading and reviewing. About updating it's quite true what you say (it also depends if I get ideas and if I can get the computer before my brother) And the last thing, Matt……***author gets eyes in shape of hearts*** He's my favorite character from Digimon 01, he's cool and handsome and that eyes……He's one of my favorites! To tell the truth, when I started watching Digimon, he was one of the main reasons why I kept watching the anime. But of course I like the show, I like the story. I also have another male characters from Digimon that I like: Ken, Joe, T.K. Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter, see you!

misaki: Hehehe Yes…..Kouichi is evil! MWAHAHAHAHAHA. But he's also so cute, kind, calm…..(I must get a grip) About katanas, yup, they're cool. And I love bows, arrows and daggers too but to use the first two, one of my characters should've been archer or something like that (In fact, when I began writing the story, Sayuri was in archer club but…….…it's a long story) About your phrase, I like it. I don't remember if I told you but I sent you an e-mail and if you hate the twins' father, wait to get to know Wen Tang. See you and remember: eat sugar! =P

LonelyWindFairy: Thanks for your review. About the twins, they're my favorite characters. I prefer Kouji, I must admit, maybe because I saw him first and that ponytail is soooooo cuuuute! Kouichi is also cool, he's kind and cute. Like I said once, for me, Kouji is more handsome but Kouichi is cuter! It's good to know that you read all kind of fics and that you don't flame (I've read plenty of stories about Inuyasha that are flamed just because they hate Kikyo and I think that's stupid because some fics are pretty good) Well, you'll have to be patient because I'll travel again but thank you! SEE YOU! :)

P.S. Just before updating, I read another review and thanks a lot for being so kind and telling your friend about it

Kana: Thanks! Don't worry. I understand and I'm glad that you're reading my story again. Yes, I'll try to update soon but it'll be hard for me.  About the towel thing, thanks, I wanted to be original in that way. Anyways, thanks and see you soon! =)

Izumi-Star: Thanks a lot! I wish there were more people like you and LonelyWindFairy. There are people that like to flame stories just because it's a couple they don't like or about a character they hate. Thanks for the compliments and I hope to see you soon. =)

~~~Li Kasumi


	12. A bad joke and a kind pianist

HI! Yes, I know. I told you that I'd travel and I will but I had time to update just before leaving. (But still, I've had tons of homework) Anyways, my old "FRIEND" is here again.

FRIEND- And I've got a new nickname: Amy T. 

She chose Amy because she also likes some of Evanescence's songs and she likes Amy Lee's voice. 

Amy T- The T stands for a last name that I like!

Well, the usual disclaimer: I don't own Digimon Frontier nor its characters. 

Amy T-But she owns Sayuri and the other weird characters

Exactly. Please read, enjoy and review. I also don't own the lyrics of the song "Over", it belongs to Ayumi Hamasaki. (But I won't use them all)

Amy T- Li Kasumi-chan loves slaps and you'll want to kill her MWAHAHAHAHAHA

You and your spoilers  -_- Stop laughing like me!

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR! (And good luck with your gifts)

Amy T- Yes, Merry Christmas! Are you sure you don't want me to write the story for you? I'll have fun.

NOOOOOOOOO  I'm the one who began this and I'll be the one who'll end this

Amy T- =P

Don't copy my style

Amy T- OK

Enough. MERRY CHRISTMAS AGAIN!

                                                       **_THE LONEWOLF MEETS HIS MATCH_**

By Li Kasumi

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Snow was falling in Shibuya. Christmas was getting closer and everything was peaceful. Well, almost everything, an old woman had angered her younger granddaughter and the reason why, was that……..

"What?" exclaimed Sayuri.

"You heard me. Your mother agreed with me" said Wen Tang and she glanced her granddaughter disapprovingly "And don't raise your voice, young lady. Remember that I'm your grandmother"

"But you only said that you were going to leave after New Year" said Sayuri, trying to calm herself down.

"I'm sorry for my lack of memory" said Wen Tang.

"But I don't want to leave" said Sayuri "I can't"

"Of course you _can_ and you _will_" replied Wen Tang harshly "You wouldn't be objecting if you hadn't met that insolent friend of yours"

"So that's the reason. Look, I have the right to choose my friends" said Sayuri "You can't control me like Yi Jie"

"I know" said Wen Tang "Yi Jie will be a sophisticated, refined and beautiful lady unlike you"

"I think your blind, **_madam_**. I'm not conceited but I'm not ugly" said Sayuri icily "I've got my mother's looks and she got hers from you"

"You're an insolent……" said Wen Tang and she looked at her granddaughter with horror "……you're an insolent tomboy"

"I feel so honored by your compliments" replied Sayuri coldly.

"Insolent as ever, the only good thing you can do is paint" said Wen Tang "When I met Kimura, I wished you were befriending him but you had to befriend his mediocre brother"

"Kouji isn't mediocre! Don't dare you talk like that about him!" yelled Sayuri angrily and in the least expected moment, she received a hard slap.

"Don't dare you talk to me in that tone, young lady" said Wen Tang coldly "Jiang Li wasn't as rebellious as you, she often disobeyed me but she wasn't like you. I assume you'll be as insignificant as your father"

It was Wen Tang's turn to be slapped. A red mark was on her pale face in matter of seconds. Her granddaughter was glaring her with pure hate. The old woman glared Sayuri back and wasn't surprised when her older daughter arrived to the living room.

"What's goi-…..Mom! Your cheek is red, like if someone had slapped you!" exclaimed Jiang Li.

"Your little daughter dared to slap me" replied Wen Tang coldly "She showed her insolence once more but this time, she reached the breaking point" 

"Sayuri, you didn't do that, did you?" demanded Jiang Li as she walked towards her daughter.

"Of course I did that!" replied Sayuri.

"How could you? I never thought you'd do that!" reproached Jiang, now facing her daughter "You slapped my mother, your grandmother! I'm very disappointed of you!"

"If you want to believe the poison that comes from my grandmother's tongue, you can listen to that reptile!" replied Sayuri and she was slapped again, but this time it had been Jiang Li who slapped her.

"I-I never thought that you'd act like that!" said Jiang Li Tang, slightly shaking, her hand still in air.

Sayuri touched her cheek as she glanced her mother with horror. If her grandmother had slapped her again, it would only hurt her physically but it was her own mother who slapped her. Her mother…….she slapped her! She was the one who raised her hand and hit her! 

"She slapped me first! But you won't slap her, will you?" yelled Sayuri and she left the living room running.

She would not forgive Jiang Li. Her mother had hurt not only physically but emotionally also. How could she? It was unbelievable. But she'd never show that weakness in front of both her mother and grandmother. No, she wouldn't please that old hag.

The small lily stopped running and she sighed. Kouji's house was in front of her but Mr. Minamoto was probably there and he wouldn't be pleased with her visit. She could climb the tree, though. But what if Kouji wasn't at home? Luck wasn't on her side that day.

"I guess I must try the common way" muttered Sayuri, she crossed the street and rang the bell. 

"Oh! It's you!" exclaimed Satomi once she opened the door.

"Hmm…….good afternoon" greeted Sayuri and Satomi greeted back "Is Kouji at home?"

"Yes" replied Satomi.

"Who is it, honey?" asked a masculine voice and Kousei Minamoto was soon at the door, glancing Sayuri.

"Good afternoon" greeted Sayuri.

"Good afternoon. Kouji has already visited you in the morning" replied Kousei.

"I only came to say goodbye. I-I'll return to Hong Kong tomorrow" said Sayuri.

"You're leaving? Why?" asked Satomi.

"My grandmother convinced my mother to go back to Hong Kong" replied Sayuri "Can I see Kouji one last time, please?"

"Sure" replied Mr. Minamoto "Come in"

"Thank you" said Sayuri.

"I'll go for Kouji" said Satomi, leaving Kousei and Sayuri alone.

"Would you like something, tea or cookies?" asked Kousei.

"No, thanks" replied Sayuri.

"I won't poison you" said Kousei "Kouji would kill me if I did that"

"I'd be thankful if you poisoned me, sir. I don't want to return to Hong Kong with my grandmother, that's a torture" replied Sayuri.

"So you dislike your grandmother" stated Kousei.

"Yeah. In fact, we dislike each other" replied Sayuri.

"I'm sorry for delaying….." said Kouji once he arrived to the living room with Satomi "What happened to your cheek?"

"My mother slapped me" replied Sayuri.

"No wonder her cheek is so red" commented Kousei, remembering when Jiang Li had slapped him.

"Why?" asked Kouji very surprised.

"My grandmother slapped me, she insulted my father and I slapped her so my mother slapped me" explained Sayuri.

"Well…….I guess your mom got angry" said Kouji.

"I'll return to Hong Kong tomorrow" said Sayuri out of the blue "I came to say goodbye"

"What?" exclaimed Kouji and he shook his head "You're joking, aren't you?"

"My grandmother told me before she slapped me" said Sayuri and she sighed sadly "She convinced my mother once more to return to Hong Kong"

"B-But my mom and Kouichi work for your mom……your grandmother must be joking" said Kouji.

"She never jokes" said Sayuri "The world would come to an end"

"But you'll return, right?" asked Kouji "I suppose you'll only spend your holidays in Hong Kong and then, you'll come back"

"No. I'll go to Hong Kong and I don't know if I'll return next year or maybe……." said Sayuri "Maybe I won't return for a couple of years"

"Kousei, come with me" said Satomi "We'll leave you two alone"

"Thanks" said Sayuri.

"You're welcome" replied Satomi before leaving with her husband.

"You can't leave" said Kouji.

"I don't want to but I'm underage" said Sayuri "I wanted to spend Christmas and New Year with you"

"I'll talk with your mom and convince her, you'll see" said Kouji.

"After I slapped my grandmother, I doubt you'll be able to convince her" said Sayuri and she hugged him tightly "I'll miss you"

"You won't leave" said Kouji, hugging her back.

"I forgot your Christmas gift at the shrine but I'll ask your brother to give it to you" said Sayuri and she sniffed.

"No, you won't leave" said Kouji.

"I must go. I'm sorry" said Sayuri and she was broke the embrace to hold Kouji's hand "I won't forget you"

"I'll talk with your mom but you won't leave" said Kouji "You're my best friend and I wa-" 

"See you later" interrupted Sayuri and she left the house running.
    
    _I still remember your profile that day _
    
    _When you were about to say something _
    
    _I'm sorry that I was unable _

_To listen to what you had to say_

"Sayuri?" whispered Kouji.
    
    _You hid your tears _
    
    _Even knowing _
    
    _That we could never return _
    
    _You held my hand and said "see you later" when we parted _

_Just the way we always parted_

_'My grandmother must have convinced mother not to return to Japan after I slapped her'_ thought Sayuri sadly.
    
    _It's easier than I thought _
    
    _To let go of the hand I was holding _
    
    _But to hold once again the hand I'd let go _

_Is much harder_

The small lily didn't go to the shrine, she ran towards some other place where she could be alone, where no one could see the tears that were threatening to fall. She'd be alone again, without someone to talk with. She wouldn't smile anymore, if her lonewolf wasn't with her, nothing mattered.
    
    _I can't smile without you _

_I can't even say one word_
    
    _The wind is cold _
    
    _Now I'm finally crying _
    
    _I even realized _
    
    _That I'm not the only one who's cold _

_But I think it's too late_

Meanwhile, Kouji was still glancing the door. Sayuri was going to leave him, she was going to leave and maybe……maybe she wasn't going to come back. But was she going to give up so easily? Didn't he mean something to her? What if she'd forget him? What if she forgot that she once met him? What if…….? What if they never saw each other again?
    
    _What does distance little by little keep apart? _
    
    _Does the flow of time make us forget little by little? _

_It's over_

And the curse. He wouldn't be there to help her and protect her. It didn't matter if he fell ill again. Why was life so cruel and unfair? Sayuri was his first friend, his first real contact with someone else besides his father and stepmother. She had made him smile, joke, talk, buy a music box, bake a cake, believe in irrational things…….they had shared so many things…….there were a lot of memories…….
    
    _You were precious to me _
    
    _More than anything I wanted to protect you _
    
    _The wind is cold _
    
    _Now I'm finally crying _
    
    _I even realized _
    
    _That I'm not the only one who's cold _

_But I think it's too late_

It was over. If at least they had had a proper goodbye……but they'd never forget each other. They couldn't, they had met by fate and fate decided that they would never forget each other.
    
    _Goodbye to the one who will never fade _
    
    _I couldn't even say goodbye properly _

_It's over_

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

After an hour or two, Sayuri returned to the shrine. She entered her house and went to the living room, just to see Kouji, Kouichi, Akiko, Kousei and Satomi talking with her mother and her grandfather.

"……that's why I'm here" said Kousei Minamoto.

"But I don't understand where all you got that idea" said Jiang Li.

"Sayuri told us that her grandmother told her that" said Kouji.

"My mother? But we'll only spend New Year in Hong Kong" said Jiang Li.

"Really? We won't return?" asked Sayuri as she walked towards her mother.

"No, dear. Your grandmother only convinced us to spend New Year with your aunt and your cousin" said Zhou Tang.

"And we'll come back to Japan?" asked Sayuri and Jiang Li nodded "But why did grandmother tell me all that?"

"Because your grandfather is always complaining that I never joke" said a voice from behind.

"Wen! That's not the way to joke with our granddaughter!" scolded Zhou Tang.

"You even showed me the tickets!" reproached Sayuri "And you weren't joking! You insulted my father!"

"The tickets were of other date but I'll leave with Yi Jie soon" replied Wen Tang calmly "We can't stay in this country. It's so cold….."

"You're using Yi Jie as your pretext for your lies" said Sayuri angrily "You planned everything. You compared me with her and you even compared Kouji with his brother"

"Well, you'll come back. Stop complaining" said Wen Tang "Excuse me"

"I'll talk with you later" warned Zhou Tang.

"Fine" replied Wen Tang before returning to her room.

"Sayuri, why don't you change your clothes? You can't catch a cold before Christmas" said Zhou Tang "Aren't you cold?"

"I'm fine, grandpa" replied Sayuri and she remembered that Mr. and Mrs. Minamoto were still there.

"Kouji, we'll leave but you can stay a bit longer" said Kousei Minamoto "Just return before dinner"

"Thanks" replied Kouji.

"Excuse us" said Mr. Minamoto.

"Thanks for coming" said Zhou Tang.

"I'll accompany them to the arch" said Sayuri and she quickly went after them.

She was curious about Mr. Minamoto's sudden change of attitude. Didn't he dislike her? He should have felt happy when she told him and Mrs. Minamoto that she was going to leave but he came to convince her mother to stay.

"Mr. Minamoto, wait!" called Sayuri and Kousei and Satomi stopped walking "Why did you come?"

"You and me have two things in common" replied Kousei "The first one is that we care for Kouji and we don't want to see him heartbroken"

"And the other reason?" asked Sayuri.

"I've also been slapped by your mother" replied Kousei "And I know it hurts, she's got strong hands for a woman that seems delicate"

"And you haven't been slapped by my grandmother……." said Sayuri "Anyways, thank you" 

"You're welcome. Goodbye" replied Kousei.

"Goodbye" said Satomi.

"And make sure you return" said Kousei.

"Sure. Goodbye" replied Sayuri and she watched them go to their house.

Then, she returned to her house. Her grandmother had a strange sense of humor and the small lily didn't like it. She was so scared about not seeing the lonewolf again that she almost cried in front of Kouji while her grandmother was probably enjoying life. 

"It's good to know that you won't be leaving us" said Kouichi.

"Yeah….." replied Sayuri "I'd have missed you. Even if you can be a pain in the neck sometimes"

"But you'd miss my little brother even more" teased Kouichi.

"You're lucky that I left my fan at my room or you'd see" said Sayuri and Kouichi giggled.

"But you'll come back" said Akiko "Doesn't that make you happy?"

"Of course" replied Sayuri.

"What did you say about your grandmother comparing me with Kouichi?" asked Kouji.

"She said that you weren't talented unlike him" replied Sayuri.

"Well, she's a terrible comedian" said Kouji, clearly annoyed "And I thought that Kouichi was evil……"

"Yeah……." agreed Sayuri.

"Hey! I'm not evil" complained Kouichi.

"By the way, where's your cousin?" asked Akiko.

"Probably in her room" replied Zhou Tang and he turned his head to Jiang Li "Don't you have something to say to your daughter?"

"Kouji, Kouichi, come with me to the kitchen, I can bake cookies for you!" said Sayuri quickly and she dragged to the kitchen before her mother had the chance to open her mouth.

"She's angry at you and she's doing a good job" commented Zhou Tang.

"I'll talk with her later" said Jiang Li.

"And I must talk with your mother. Excuse me" said Zhou Tang "It was great to see you again, madam"

"I was also glad to see you again" replied Akiko.

After that, Zhou Tang walked to his older granddaughter's room. He knocked the door and Yi Jie soon opened it. She was holding a book and she greeted him.

"Dear, Kouichi Kimura is at the kitchen" said Mr. Tang and he could have sworn that a smile appeared on his granddaughter's face for a few seconds.

"I see" replied Yi Jie.

"Won't you go to greet him? He gave you that cute fluffy bunny after all" said Zhou Tang.

"You're right, grandpa" replied Yi Jie "Besides, I forgot to give him back his jacket"

"He's at the kitchen with Sayuri and Kouji" said Zhou Tang "Sayuri will bake cookies, why don't you help her?"

"Sure" replied Yi Jie.

"I must go to my room but I expect to have cookies for dinner" said Zhou Tang and Yi Jie nodded "Greet with a _Hi_ instead of a _Good Evening_"

Once more, he left to his room. His wife had gone too far this time. Meanwhile, Yi Jie went for Kouichi's green jacket and left her book. She walked and soon met Mrs. Kimura in the living room, after greeting her, she continued her way to the kitchen.

"H-Hi" she nervously greeted once she arrived to the kitchen.

"Hi!" greeted Kouichi.

"Hi. How are you?" asked Kouji.

"I'm fine. Thank you" replied Yi Jie.

"My jacket! I forgot that you had it" said Kouichi and Yi Jie handed the green jacket to him "I'm glad you took good care of it"

"Thank you for lending it to me" said Yi Jie.

"You're welcome" replied Kouichi.

"I thought you'd be reading because you weren't playing the piano" commented Sayuri.

"And how did you know that we were here?" asked Kouji.

"W-Well…..I-I….m-my gra-grandfather t-told m-me th-that….." stuttered Yi Jie "I better leave"

"No, stay with us" said Kouichi "We were surprised to see you but of course you're welcome"

"T-Thanks" replied Yi Jie nervously.

"Have you named the fluffy bunny yet?" asked Kouichi.

"Yes, its name is Usagi" replied Yi Jie, feeling more relaxed.

"That's the Japanese word for bunny. Did Sayuri tell you that?" asked Kouichi and Yi Jie shook her head "You're very smart"

"Yi Jie is the first in her class, she knows a lot of things" commented Sayuri as she looked for the flour "She's also a great dancer"

"Really? Could you give some advice? I'm a bit clumsy" said Kouichi.

"You can't be clumsier than Sayuri" commented Kouji and he received a glare.

"Well, you're the worst baker I've ever met" said Sayuri.

"Calm down you two" said Kouichi. 

"Sayuri, would you like me to help you?" asked Yi Jie shyly.

"Sure. As long as you don't let Kouji get close, everything will be fine" replied Sayuri after a long pause.

Things sure were strange that day: Her grandmother had 'joked', her mother had slapped her, the twins' father had gone to the shrine to convince Jiang Li of staying and now, her cousin had started a conversation plus she greeted with a _Hi _instead of a _Good Evening_.

~*~*~*~*~**********~*~*~*~*~

The next day, the twins and Sayuri were walking down the street, making their way to the Miyahara shrine. Yi Jie had to stay at the shrine because Wen Tang insisted that her older granddaughter shouldn't spend time with her 'rebellious' cousin.

"I pity your cousin. She had to stay with your grandmother" said Kouji.

"Yes but if she were an assertive girl, things would be different" replied Sayuri.

"I think she's shy" commented Kouichi "But she's as good at baking cookies as you, Sayuri"

"I have to agree with you in that" said Kouji.

"Yes, she's clumsy because she gets nervous but you should see her dancing" said Sayuri.

"Do you think she can teach me?" asked Kouichi.

"I don't know. My grandmother won't let her do that" said Sayuri.

Meanwhile, both Jiang Li and Zhou were trying to calm Wen Tang down, the Chinese woman was furious with Yi Jie after the girl broke her mirror.

"Are you blind?" yelled Wen Tang to her granddaughter.

"I-I…I-I am soso-sorry" stuttered Yi Jie "I di-didn't w-want to bre-break it but you s-scared m-me wh-when you entered a-and I dro-dropped it" 

"Are you calling me a monster?" yelled Wen Tang and Yi Jie receded "And don't stutter, you know that a refined lady should never stutter"

"S-Sorry. I mean sorry" said Yi Jie.

"Wen, you can buy another mirror" said Zhou and his granddaughter sniffed "Don't cry, Yi Jie"

"There she goes again, she always cries" said Wen Tang "That mirror belonged to my grandmother, it was an antique mirror and this klutz broke it! She can't do anything right!"

"Calm down!" said Zhou Tang.

"I-I'm sorry. I on-only wa-wanted to se-see it and pa-paint its in-inscriptions" said Yi Jie.

"You wanted to paint? You wanted to paint!" repeated Wen Tang, looking angrier "You can't even draw a house! And every time you paint, you stain something!"

"Mother, be easy on Yi Jie" begged Jiang Li.

Sayuri and the twins had heard everything but if they said something to Wen, Yi Jie would be scolded even more. It was intolerable the way Wen Tang was treating Yi Jie so Sayuri sighed and she discreetly walked towards Yi Jie and began dragging her out of the living room like she always did back at Hong Kong.

"Oh no! You're not taking her to the street! Not after she broke my mirror!" said Wen Tang and she caught Yi Jie's wrist tightly.

"You're hurting her!" reproached Sayuri.

"I'm not hurting her!" replied Wen Tang.

"Let her go, Wen" ordered Zhou and his wife finally let Yi Jie go "Sayuri, take your cousin to the street, please"

"Sure" said Sayuri and she took the scared Yi Jie to the back of the shrine with the twins.

Once there, Sayuri tried to calm her cousin. The poor thing was shaking uncontrollably and her eyes were misty, it was matter of time for her tears to begin falling.

"I'll bring tea" said Sayuri "Kouji, come with me, please. I'll also go for her stuffed animal"

"Yes. Kouichi, stay with her" said Kouji and his brother nodded.

"Thanks" said Sayuri and she left with the younger twin.

One tear rolled down Yi Jie's cheek and soon, many tears followed. Kouichi looked at her sympathetically and put an arm around her, trying to console her.

"Don't cry" he said "I don't like to see a girl crying"

"I'm a klutz" sobbed Yi Jie.

"I've told you, you're not a klutz. You're talented with the piano and Sayuri told us that you're a great dancer" said Kouichi reassuringly.

"B-But grandmother says that I-I'm a klutz and that I can't do anything right" sobbed Yi Jie.

"Don't mind her. She's angry and doesn't know what she's saying" said Kouichi.

"You're very kind, sir" said Yi Jie.

"Kouichi…..call me Kouichi" said the older twin.

"Fine, Kouichi" replied Yi Jie and she wiped away her tears.

"Can I also call you by your name?" asked Kouichi and Yi Jie softly nodded "Great! Does Yi Jie mean something?"

"It means 'Happy and Pure' in Chinese" replied the amber-eyed girl.

"Really? Why don't you smile more often? A smile would suit your name instead of these tears" said Kouichi.

"I'll smile more often, then" replied Yi Jie and she slightly grinned.

"I told you, a smile suits not only your name but your eyes also" said Kouichi "You look even cuter"

"I'm cute?" asked Yi Jie and Kouichi blushed slightly.

"Yes" he replied firmly with a sweet smile.

"Thank you, Kouichi" said Yi Jie.

"Sorry for delaying" said Sayuri as she handed Yi Jie a cup of tea "Here"

"Here's your stuffed bunny" said Kouji and he handed Yi Jie the fluffy animal.

"Thank you" replied Yi Jie and she drank the tea.

"You're not crying anymore, that's good" said Sayuri and she glanced Kouichi "Did you tickle her or something?"

"No" replied the older twin.

"Grandpa wants you to visit the shops and other places, Yi Jie" said Sayuri "We can even visit Mrs. Kimura"

"Mom will be delighted by your visit" said Kouichi "Let's go!"

~*~*~*~*~**********~*~*~*~*~

Christmas had finally arrived and Sayuri was combing Yi Jie's hair. The Chinese girl was wearing a light green kimono while Sayuri was wearing a light blue one. 

"I'm glad you accepted my advice and bought the kimono" said Sayuri "It looks really good on you"

"Thanks" replied Yi Jie.

"I wonder if the twins will come" commented Sayuri "We'll leave Japan tomorrow and I wanted to see them"

"They'll probably come. They like you a lot" said Yi Jie.

"They also like you. Kouji is not a very demonstrative boy sometimes but he's very nice once you get to know him" said Sayuri and she smiled "Kouichi seems to like you, he's been very kind with you"

"Yes" replied Yi Jie "He's very kind"

"He likes green, that's why I advised you to buy this kimono" said Sayuri and she stopped combing Yi Jie's hair "You're ready"

"Thanks" replied Yi Jie "Hmm…..I-I would like to give K-Kouichi something"

"Well, I knitted a scarf for him and Kouji but most of the shops must be closed" said Sayuri "But he told me that he liked your cookies"

"Really?" asked Yi Jie and Sayuri nodded "Do you think that I could give him cookies?"

"Of course" replied Sayuri.

"But what will I tell him?" asked Yi Jie "I've never baked cookies for a boy"

"You'll know what to say once you're facing him" said Sayuri "You can begin by thanking him for his kindness"

"Thank you for your advice" said Yi Jie and they heard a knock.

"Come in" said Sayuri.

"Kouji is here" said Jiang Li once she entered the room and Sayuri nodded.

"Auntie, is Kouichi here too?" asked Yi Jie shyly.

"No, Kouji told me that Kouichi will come later" replied Jiang Li.

"Let's go, Yi Jie" said Sayuri and her cousin nodded "Let me take his gift"

"Excuse us, auntie" said Yi Jie before leaving with Sayuri.

"Yi Jie, tell your cousin that I'm sorry for slapping her" called Jiang Li "And that I want to talk with her"

"Sayuri, auntie says that sh-" began Yi Jie.

"I heard her" interrupted Sayuri coldly "Tell her that I don't want her to spoil me this day"

"Stop acting like a little girl, Sayuri. I'm your mother" said Jiang Li while following her.

"Kouji! It's been a long time! Merry Christmas!" exclaimed Sayuri once she spotted him.

"But I visited you yesterday" replied Kouji and he looked away "I brought you something. Merry Christmas"

"I also have something for you" said Sayuri and she showed a wrapped box "This is for you"

"Thanks" replied Kouji after receiving his gift and he handed her a wrapped box too "I hope you like it"

"Thank you!" said Sayuri "It's the first time a boy gives me a present, well, Xu has given me gifts but he's my cousin"

"I see" said Kouji and he glanced Yi Jie "Hi. My brother asked me to tell you that he'll come later because he wants to give you something"

"He wants to give me something?" asked Yi Jie and Kouji nodded "Really? Aren't you joking?"

"No. I'm sorry for not giving you something, I didn't have enough time" said Kouji.

"It doesn't matter. Thank you anyways" said Yi Jie and she began playing with her fingers "I must go to the kitchen. I'll see you later"

"Sure" replied Kouji and the Chinese girl left.

"You look very good in that kimono" said Sayuri and she reached for Kouji's ponytail "I've always wanted to play with it!"

"Hey! Leave my ponytail!" said Kouji but Sayuri began pulling his ponytail to the left and to the right.

"This is so funny!" said Sayuri happily.

"This _isn't_ funny!" reproached Kouji "Mrs. Miyahara, could you help me?"

"Sayuri won't let me get close to her, she's still mad at me" replied Jiang Li.

"It's Christmas day, small lily. Why don't you settle your differences with your mom?" said Kouji once Sayuri stopped playing with his ponytail.

"Because she should have slapped my grandmother after she insulted my father and slapped me" said Sayuri.

"She's my mother! I can't slap her!" said Jiang Li.

"But you can slap me….." muttered Sayuri.

"I've apologized one thousand times! Your grandmother had already left!" said Jiang Li "It's Christmas"

"I know. Do you promise me that you won't let my grandmother yell and do what she wants at my house? She has no right to yell here, this shrine belonged to my father" said Sayuri.

"Yes" replied Jiang Li.

"Fine" said Sayuri emotionlessly "Merry Christmas"

"Sayuri….." called Kouji and the small lily turned to see him "Don't be so resentful"

"But she slapped me and it hurt" said Sayuri "It wasn't fair"

"You're so capricious sometimes" said Kouji "Be a good girl and talk with her. I'll wait you at the back"

"Okay" replied Sayuri.

"Excuse me, madam" said Kouji before leaving.

"Thank you" said Jiang Li and she sighed "Your grandpa talked with your grandmother and she'll apologize at Hong Kong………"

Meanwhile, Yi Jie was waiting and waiting for the cookies to bake…….She was happy because of what Kouji told her about Kouichi. He was going to give her something! He was so kind and sweet……She wondered if all Japanese boys were like him, or if he was one of a kind. 

"Come on, cookies. Hurry…." she muttered.

After some minutes, she began decorating the cookies. She felt so free now that her grandmother was at Hong Kong and she didn't feel so tense and stressed. Soon, the cookies were ready and she put them in a small bag.

"I wished I had something to wrap them" she said.

"Won't you open your gift?" asked Sayuri to Kouji after a long talk with her mother.

"Did you forgive your mom?" asked Kouji and Sayuri nodded with a smile "Let's open our gifts together"

"Sure" said Sayuri.

They unwrapped the presents and Kouji looked at a dark blue scarf. It was nicely knitted and he glanced at Sayuri, who was glancing at a stuffed kitten in shock.

"I knew shouldn't have bought it. I don't even know if you like kittens" said Kouji and he heard a sniff "Sayuri?"

"There's something in my eye" replied the girl as she rubbed her eyes.

"Silly girl, you can cry in front of me" said Kouji "I'll even let you play with my ponytail"

"I love your gift! It's fluffy!" said Sayuri and she hugged the stuffed kitten "Do you like your scarf?"

"Of course" replied Kouji, who was now wearing the scarf around his neck.

"Good because I asked my mom for help" said Sayuri and she kissed him on the cheek "This is for letting me play with your ponytail again!"

"Hey!" complained Kouji.

"…….like them, he won't like them, he'll like them, he won't li-" said Yi Jie when she heard footsteps behind her.

"Hi! I wanted to give you something but I couldn't buy you something" said Kouichi once Yi Jie turned to see him "But I drew something for you"

"Really?" asked Yi Jie.

"Here" said Kouichi as he handed her a Christmas car "I hope you like it"

"Thank you" said Yi Jie and she smiled at the drawing of a Santa Claus making a snowman "It's very cute"

"You're welcome" replied Kouichi.

"I also have something for you" said Yi Jie and she handed him the bag of cookies.

"Can I open it?" asked Kouichi and Yi Jie nodded "Cookies! Thank you!"

"You're welcome" replied Yi Jie shyly.

"You look cute in that kimono. I haven't told you but my favorite color is green" said Kouichi "Anyways, you look good in anything you wear"

"Thank you" replied Yi Jie as she watched Kouichi eat the cookies.

"They're delicious" stated the boy "By the way, Merry Christmas"

"Merry Christmas" replied Yi Jie "You also look good in that kimono"

"Thank you" said Kouichi "Could you smile for me?"

Yi Jie nodded and she grinned. Kouichi grinned back and dragged her to the living room. Once there, he put away the bag of cookies and asked Yi Jie to dance with him. The Chinese girl smiled and she accepted his invitation so she put a hand on Kouichi shoulder while holding his hand with her other free hand. They began moving slowly and Kouichi was careful of not stepping on her feet.

"Am I clumsy?" asked Kouichi.

"Of course not" replied Yi Jie and gave him a lopsided grin.

"I like your smile" said Kouichi.

"The same here" replied Yi Jie "I love your drawing"

"I love your cookies" said Kouichi happily "I'd like to spend another Christmas day with you"

"I'd be delighted if that happens again" replied Yi Jie.

The strange thing was that they were dancing without music but still, they were doing a good job. Zhou Tang and Jiang Li Miyahara watched them from afar. The Chinese man was happy that his granddaughter looked so cheerful without his wife's presence.

But he couldn't be happier than Yi Jie. The girl was really enjoying her stay at Japan but what she was enjoying even more was the fact that Kouichi Kimura was dancing with her. For her, it was the happiest moment of her life, feeling accepted and treasured……feeling that she now had a place where she belonged.

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Well, I wrote this chapter because this is my Christmas gift. I'll try to get the computer as soon as I return from holidays. I really want to write more and continue with the story because I've got a lot of ideas for two other stories involving the cute and handsome twins. One is completely AU while the other is settled some years after the Chosen Children saved the digiworld. I think I told one of the reviewers, one will be of fantasy (and I'll try to stay as far away from OOCNESS as possible) while the other will involve action, adventure, romance and humor. I'll use Sayuri again but because she's not cursed, expect a big chance in her. (I mean, she won't be as cold as when I introduced her in this story, and she already knows Kouji) I'm sorry for not writing the meanings of the melodies, I don't have enough time.

AMY T- She's mad! And she made Kouichi act so sweet! I'm going to throw up!

Yes!!!!! Get away, bad friend. And did you know about the Minamoto clan in the feudal Japan? I think that's where the one who wrote Digimon Frontier got the name because they were like samurais or something like that, I don't remember right now. Well, that's my hypothesis. I won't get involved into Japan history, I've got homework to do.

AMY T- And she'll explain me many things about Math so bye!!!

Bye and Merry Christmas. Happy New Year!

P.S. You may ask why a sixteen-year girl cries so easily and lets her grandmother scold her. Yi Jie has her story and I'll probably explain that in the next chapter.

Evil One1: Hi! Thank you! For reading, reviewing and writing. Don't worry about being weird, I'm also weird. Ask my friend here. (And I'm happy she won't be interrupting) I won't ask, I think I've beginning to understand you. To tell the truth, I sometimes get confused when I read (In one of my stories I got a review but I don't know if that person was praising or flaming me. That's why I don't know what to answer) You know, when one talks, you can perceive sarcasm or other emotions that you can't when you read so you don't know if one person if talking seriously or just joking. Besides, English is not my first language and it's sometimes difficult. Just to let you know =) Well, I wish you enjoy your holidays. I read that you're Jewish but I don't know if you celebrate Hanukkah or Christmas or New Year. Anyways, if you celebrate Christmas and/or New Year, MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR! SEE YOU! =P

LonelyWindFairy: Thank you for continue reading and reviewing. Yes, I wanted to update again before leaving and having a torture with my little cousins (I'll be a babysitter for them) MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR! BYE! =P

Izumi-Star: Thanks for continue reading and reviewing. I used all my free time to write this chapter, hope you like it. I see that you're another Syaoran's fan (You wrote your e-mail). He's so cute! Hope to see you soon. MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR.

Kara: Hehe. Thanks for continue reading and reviewing. Have you continued with your story? About the story, I had fun writing the mistletoe thing and the younger twin will have his revenge. MWAHAHAHA . Don't worry about not being able to review last chapter, I understand. See you soon! MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Eng-Lang: Oh, thank you! By the way, where are you from? I'm curious about your nickname. See you! MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Misaki: Yup, that's the other pairing. Kouichi deserves someone, he's so cute! You guessed about the revenge thing. **_It's payback time!_** That'll be the title of one of my chapters and yep, they're kawaii together. About the sugar cubs, yes, it's fun and delicious. Boy, I'm getting hungry but I've got homework to do (My teachers are mean ***sniff***) I want a cotton candy! Wheeeee! Or chocolate! I love chocolates! I should stop writing and with my madness or Amy will get mad at me for not explaining her about the Math homework. See you! MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR! =P

PS Check your e-mail

Kana: Hi! Hope you're fine! Thank you for reading and reviewing again. Fortunately, I was able to update before holidays. Kouichi-kun is sweet! I hope you're still watching Inuyasha, I love the show. See you! MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I Am A Sly Slytherin: Hi again! You're welcome and thanks for reading and reviewing. I hope you enjoyed this chapter because I wanted to update before leaving. See you! MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

~~~Li Kasumi


	13. Meeting the sorcerer's beloved

Hi again! Thanks for reading (and if you review, I'll really thank you!) I hope you've enjoyed your holidays, (you should if you don't have to stand some little monsters (my little cousins), they ruined my holidays). Anyways, the usual disclaimer, I don't own Digimon nor its characters. I only own my original characters: Sayuri, Jiang Li, Yi Jie, etc. 

'_Italics_'- thoughts

Please read, enjoy and review. The author apologizes for her grammar because English isn't her first language and she often gets confused. =P I tried to update sooner but something wasn't working with my Internet **_again_**

Please enjoy and hope you like my thirteenth chapter. See you!

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                                                                    **_THE LONEWOLF MEETS HIS MATCH_**

By Li Kasumi

Holidays were finally over. It was three in the morning and a long-haired teenager was sleeping peacefully…….or at least that was until he felt cold. His eyes snapped open and instead of finding himself at his room, he was at a field of flowers. He began feeling warmer and looked around, it had to be a dream.

"Hi" greeted an unknown voice.

Kouji Minamoto looked around and he immediately spotted a young woman. Her face was completely covered by a veil but he could see her blue hair and her slightly tanned hands. She was wearing a purple kimono and her hand was holding a scepter that looked just like the one Sen Otsuki had.

"Who are you?" asked the teenager.

"Ah….I thought you'd never ask, Kouji Minamoto" replied the woman.

"How do you know my name?" snapped Kouji while looking around, trying to find a monster or a trap set for him.

"My name is Aki and you have nothing to fear" replied the woman "I won't harm you"

"But Sayuri told me that you died" said Kouji.

"I'm only a ghost, that's what I am" replied Aki "I brought you here because I'm worried for Sen"

"For that monster? He's murdered many people and he could kill Sayuri at any moment!" reproached Kouji.

"You don't understand" replied Aki calmly "His spirit is tied to this world because of the love he once felt for me"

"His spirit is tied to this world because he wants to kill Sayuri!" said Kouji.

"Well, that's one of the reasons" said Aki sadly "You've seen him, haven't you?"

"Yes" replied Kouji.

"He has that appearance because of the lives he's destroyed" explained Aki "For each life he's taken, for each life that's been lost, he's paid a high price"

"So he looks like a corpse because he's killed many people" said Kouji.

"Exactly" replied Aki "He should've never cursed Satoshi, that boy didn't have the fault of my death"

"If you're here, you could contact Otsuki and convince him of breaking the curse" said Kouji.

"I could do that but there's only one way to break the curse" said Aki "I cannot tell you the way but I can help you to protect Sayuri Miyahara"

"Why can't you tell me how to save her?" asked Kouji.

"Because I mustn't play with fate. I could even ruin the way to save Miyahara, that's how magic works" said Aki "But I can give you a clue"

"Well, that's something" said Kouji, not very convinced.

"But first, Kouji Minamoto, I must do something" said Aki.

Kouji's katana appeared of nowhere and the woman muttered incomprehensible words. The samurai sword shone and a kanji appeared in its hilt.

"Hikari" said Aki "You're the one who'll light up that world of shadows"

"Why me?" asked Kouji.

"Well, that's a good question" said Aki "Things could be different but….."

"But?" repeated Kouji.

"Fate wanted it this way" said Aki "I think that for now, you're the one who can help Sayuri Miyahara"

"How can I help her?" asked Kouji.

"This katana will appear every time you enter Sen's world and it won't let him drain your energy" explained Aki "You can help Miyahara to fight against monsters and other kind of dangers now that I gave it some magic"

"That's relieving" said Kouji "Thanks"

"You don't have to thank me" said Aki "I hope you find the way to break the curse. Unfortunately, a quarter of life of Miyahara is slowly ending"

"What do you mean? Did something happen to Sayuri?" demanded Kouji worriedly.

"Not yet" replied Aki "But if you can't help her to break the curse soon, she could die"

"Why?" asked Kouji.

"Because one of the paths she could've taken is slowly closing" said Aki "I know that because I'm a seer and a sorceress"

"I know but Otsuki cursed the Miyahara family because of your death" said Kouji.

"He was blinded by rage, hate, jealousy and confusion" said Aki "He didn't know what he was doing when he cursed Satoshi"

"Jealousy? What do you mean by jealousy?" asked Kouji.

"Satoshi was my apprentice and I met him since he was three, many years before I met Sen" said Aki "He could've been a great seer if he had finished his training with me. We spent a lot of time together"

"That man was jealous of Sayuri's ancestor?" said Kouji "Did you cheat on him?"

"No. Satoshi was like my little brother, always by my side, always learning from me" said Aki "But this is not the time to tell you about that. I can't stay here anymore"

"Wait! You haven't given me the clue!" said Kouji.

"Right. Listen carefully" said Aki and she took a deep breath "Between life and death you must choose, only one path you can take"

"What do you mean? I'd choose life! Sayuri must live!" said Kouji.

"Between life and death you must choose, only one path you can take" repeated Aki "Do not forget my words"

"But I don't understand" replied Kouji.

"Your choice won't be what it seems" said Aki "But remember, time is running"

A soft wind blew on Kouji's face and everything began vanishing. The next thing he saw was the ceiling of his room and he took a deep breath. He moved to his right and got up, he needed to see his katana. He spotted it soon, it was shining and he gasped when he saw the inscription in its hilt: the kanji sign for light, Hikari.

"Sayuri, why haven't you returned to Japan yet?" asked Kouji softly while glancing the katana.

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That same day, classes began once more. Kouji Minamoto waited at a classroom, he was glancing at the empty seat behind him. Someone slid the door and the person he had been waiting for arrived.

"You're here" he muttered and got up from his seat.

"Hi!" greeted Sayuri and she walked towards him.

"You didn't get hurt? Are you fine?" asked Kouji.

"Yes, I'm okay" replied Sayuri.

"Why hadn't you come back?" asked Kouji "I was beginning to think that you wouldn't return"

"Well, I'm here" said Sayuri and she sighed sadly.

"What's wrong?" asked Kouji.

The bell rang and Mr. Kumazawa came into the classroom so everybody went to their seats. The professor took roll call after greeting the students and then, he made an announcement.

"Today, we'll welcome two new students" he said and Kouji sighed "Come in"

Almost everyone gasped except Kouji, Sayuri and the gang of bullies. One of the new students was Kouji's twin, Kouichi Kimura. The other student was a girl, Yi Jie Tang, who was glancing the ceiling nervously.

"As you noticed, Kouichi Kimura is Minamoto's twin" said the professor and he glanced Yi Jie "This is Yi Jie Tang, she comes from Hong Kong. I expect you to be nice with them"

Whispers could be heard around the classroom, especially from the girls. They wondered if Kouichi was like Kouji or if he was friendlier but one thing was sure, he was incredibly cute. Luckily for them, Kouichi smiled and greeted the class in a friendly tone. He was going to be the new charming prince of their generation.

"Why don't you tell the class about yourselves?" suggested the professor.

"Sure, sir" replied Kouichi "I'm Kouji's twin as you can see but I like playing the piano, reading and drawing"

"What about you, Miss Tang?" asked the professor.

"W-Well….I also like playing the piano and reading" replied Yi Jie shyly.

She slowly turned to Kouichi, glancing him desperately. She had never liked to speak in public, she always got nervous and began stuttering.

"Yi Jie is a good dancer and she's very smart" said Kouichi "Sir, could we go to our seats?"

"Sure" replied the professor "Why don't you sit beside your brother? Miss Tang can sit beside her cousin"

"Cousin? She's Miyahara's cousin?" asked Megumi.

"Yes" replied the professor.

Cousin. That was the word that had been worrying Sayuri. Now everyone knew that Yi Jie was her cousin and they'd probably begin bugging the Chinese girl for having a freak as a cousin. Then, Kouichi sat beside Kouji and Yi Jie sat beside her. 

~*~*~*~*~************~*~*~*~*~

"I didn't know you were also going to come back" commented Kouichi "But I'm glad"

"Thanks" replied Yi Jie.

"It was a surprise" said Kouji.

"Grandpa convinced my aunt to let Yi Jie come to Japan" said Sayuri "Luckily, my grandmother had to stay at Hong Kong"

The four teenagers were at the classroom, like most of the rest of their classmates. It was cold to go outside and only a few of them decided to go to the cafeteria. 

"Hey! Kimura!" called a blonde girl "Hi"

"Hi!" replied Kouichi, quite startled after realizing that the girl wasn't alone.

"Are you single?" asked a brunette.

"Yes" replied Kouichi.

"He's single!" exclaimed a red-head happily.

"Hi! My name is Rei" said the brunette and she began introducing her friends "The red-head is Ai and the blonde is Youko"

"Nice to meet you" chorused the three girls.

"Nice to meet you too" replied Kouichi and he grinned, making the three girls sigh.

"How cute!"   "We must tell the others!"   "He's so nice!"

"Thanks for talking with us, we'll pay you a visit later!" said Youko.

"Sure" replied Kouichi.

"I think you've got three admirers" teased Sayuri and Kouichi giggled.

"And you'll get more" commented Kouji.

The lonewolf wasn't wrong. A few minutes before Math began, the same girls returned with another group of girls and they began bombarding Kouichi with questions. They began calling him _'charming prince'_ which didn't go unnoticed by a certain gray-eyed boy and his friends.

"What do they see in him?" he snapped.

"Well, he's like Minamoto. It's clear that they'd also like him" said Keisuke.

"And unlike Minamoto, he's friendly with them" said Musashi "Besides, he's more talkative and he smiles often"

"What do you say about Miyahara's cousin?" asked Takenori.

"She doesn't seem to be a freak" replied Taeko and he watched Yi Jie with interest "In fact, she's really cute"

"Do you want to date her?" asked Musashi.

"Why not? If she proves not to be a freak like the Spooky Witch, she's worthy" replied Taeko and he whistled.

"Do you want me to distract Minamoto, Miyahara and Kimura?" asked Musashi "While I distract them, you could talk with the Chinese girl"

"That'd be great" replied Taeko "It's time for Yi Jie Tang to meet a real charming prince"

The bell rang and the Math teacher soon entered, he didn't seem to be in a good mood. Everybody went to their seats quickly and the professor wrote many difficult equations on the blackboard. He began calling different students to solve the equations but only three of them could answer correctly.

"I can't believe that you can solve these equations!" roared the professor.

He erased all the equations and wrote a very long and difficult equation on the blackboard. The students glanced the equation and prayed for not being asked to solve it. 

"Who wants to solve it?" asked the professor "Raise your hand and come to solve it"

Unexpectedly, a slightly tanned hand began raising and the Chinese girl got up from her seat. Taeko Nakajima watched her with interest again once she began solving the equation. Yi Jie was writing big numbers here and there until the last number was 387.

"Your answer is correct" said the professor "I assume you're the new student from Hong Kong"

"Yes, I am" replied Yi Jie "My name is Yi Jie Tang, sir"

"Very good" said the professor "You can go to your seat"

Yi Jie nodded and she made her way to her seat, just to be welcomed by a smile from Kouichi. All the girls noticed this and glared her with jealousy, there was no way that the freak's cousin would steal their charming prince from them. 

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It was time to leave school and a group of girls surrounded Kouichi. The boy only grinned while Kouji and Sayuri rolled their eyes. Yi Jie glanced Kouichi sadly until Sayuri called her, it was time to go home.

"Leave him here. He'll be fine with all those girls" said Sayuri.

"Yeah! The least they can do is kiss him" agreed Kouji.

"But it's not polite to leave him" replied Yi Jie.

"I can't leave you alone, you don't know the city nor the school well" said Sayuri.

"Don't worry for me. I can go home by myself" said Yi Jie.

"What if you get lost?" said Sayuri "Come on. He'll be fine"

"But Kouichi could walk me home" replied Yi Jie.

"Are you sure? He could delay" said Kouji.

"I can't let her stay, my mom will kill me if something happens to her" said Sayuri.

"I will be fine" said Yi Jie "Please"

"Fine" replied Sayuri.

"Anyways, I need to talk with you, Sayuri" said Kouji.

"Fine" replied the black-haired girl "Take care, Yi Jie"

Both Kouji and Sayuri began walking away from the amber-eyed girl. She watched them leave and suddenly, someone tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hi" greeted Taeko Nakajima.

"Hmm…..Hi" replied Yi Jie.

"I'm Taeko Nakajima" said the gray-eyed boy and he got unnecessarily closer "Has someone ever told you that you're cute?"

"Y-Yes" replied Yi Jie nervously.

"Really? Who?" asked Taeko Nakajima.

"Kouichi, he called me cute" replied Yi Jie.

"Ah…..that stupid kid" said Taeko.

"Kouichi isn't stupid! He's nice, kind and very talented" stated Yi Jie firmly.

"Kimura is as dense as his brother, dear. Forget him and come with me" said Taeko "We can have fun together"

"No, thanks" replied Yi Jie "I'll wait for Kouichi and go home"

"I can walk you to the shrine" said Taeko but Yi Jie shook her head "Why not?"

"I'll go home with Kouichi" said Yi Jie and she was about to walk away "Excuse me"

"Where are you going?" asked Taeko after he caught her wrist "Don't dare to reject me"

"Hey! Leave Yi Jie alone!" yelled Kouichi while running towards Yi Jie and Taeko.

"Where did your fans go?" snapped Taeko.

"They left just before you got close to Yi Jie" replied Kouichi "Leave her alone"

"Your brother isn't here to defend you, pianist" said Taeko but he released Yi Jie "Anyways, I won't fight in front of a lady"

"You better not hurt her or get close to her again" said Kouichi "Let's go, Yi Jie"

"Bye, bye" mocked Taeko.

Kouichi glared him and began walking with Yi Jie, leaving Taeko alone. How could Sayuri leave her cousin alone? She shouldn't have left her there, there was no excuse for that.

"Are you fine?" he finally asked.

"Yes" replied Yi Jie "Thank you"

"Don't worry, I won't let him get close to you" said Kouichi "But I'll scold Sayuri for leaving you alone"

"It wasn't her fault. I insisted in staying because I wanted to…….wait for you" said Yi Jie.

"Thanks but next time, I'd prefer if you leave with her" said Kouichi.

"Y-You……you don't like my company" said Yi Jie but she suddenly felt an arm around her.

"Of course I like your company" replied Kouichi "But I don't like you to be alone, I don't want someone like him to bother you"

"You're really kind" said Yi Jie "It's easy to understand why you got a lot of admirers today"

"Yes, but you're my friend" said Kouichi.

"You consider me your friend?" asked Yi Jie.

"Yes" replied Kouichi "Did I say something wrong?"

"No" said Yi Jie and she grinned "Even if Kouji is your twin and looks just like you, you're much cuter"

"Thanks" replied Kouichi "I don't think Kouji will get mad if he hears that, he hates to be called cute"

"But Sayuri thinks that he's cute and handsome" said Yi Jie.

"Really? What else has she told you about my brother?" asked Kouichi and he smirked.

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It was Thursday and both Kouji and Sayuri were sat on a bench, talking as they waited for Kouichi and Yi Jie to come out from the music classroom. Kouichi had told Sayuri what happened last Monday after she left with Kouji and 'scolded' her for leaving Yi Jie alone. Anyways, he didn't miss the chance to tease Sayuri but in the end he met the famous fan. Now, Kouji and Sayuri were talking more about what Kouji had dreamed.  

"Hey! Get up" said Kouji after Sayuri leaned her head on his shoulder "Hmm….I…..Sayuri, I…..I'm not your pillow"

"Sorry but I'm falling asleep ag-……." replied Sayuri

"Wake up!" called Kouji but it was useless once again.

He shook her and in the next second, he was standing on a hard floor with his katana in one hand but he immediately spotted Sayuri. The girl also spotted him and ran towards him but spikes came from underground, knocking her.

"Not so fast" said a familiar voice "Look who's come again"

"Wait! I met Aki!" yelled Kouji.

"You're lying!" replied Otsuki angrily.

"No! She appeared in my dreams! She doesn't want you to kill Sayuri! I couldn't see her clearly but she has blue hair!" yelled Kouji.

"You…….you really saw her" said the sorcerer.

Why? How could a mere boy see Aki? Why did Aki preferred that boy over him? He'd give anything to see her again, only once more. 

"She told me that Satoshi Miyahara was her apprentice and that she met him before you" said Kouji "She's worried for you"

"If that were true, she'd have come to see me" replied Otsuki bitterly "But if you're here, I think it's time to teach you a lesson"

"I'm ready" declared Kouji defiantly.

"This time, Miyahara, you'll be only watching" said Otsuki.

He appeared behind Sayuri and caught her hands tightly, preventing her from running away. Out of the blue, a hiss resounded in that empty dimension and a huge snake came out from a dark corner.

"Do you like reptiles, boy?" asked the sorcerer.

"No" replied Kouji.

"Too bad" said Otsuki "Uso, go for him but don't kill him"

"Hey! I'm the one who's cursed, not him!" yelled Sayuri.

"Well, I want to torture him for a change" replied Otsuki "Attack, Uso"

The giant snake launched at the lonewolf but the katana shone and created an invisible barrier between it and Kouji. The snake didn't give up and began hitting the barrier, trying to break it. Luckily for it, the katana began losing its power and the barrier began weakening until it disappeared so the snake launched at the lonewolf again. 

Meanwhile, Sayuri was struggling desperately against Otsuki until the sorcerer freed her and she ran towards the snake. However, it was late when she arrived, the reptile was already attacking Kouji.

The lonewolf could barely avoid it but he managed to slash its tail. The snake wasn't very pleased after getting hurt and it showed its fangs to Kouji but the boy didn't look intimidated. 

"I'm entertaining myself with the show" said the sorcerer and he appeared to grab Sayuri again.

"Let me go! I must help him!" cried the girl.

"What exactly will you do?" asked Otsuki.

"Well, I…." said Sayuri and there was a long pause "I don't know"

"Uso, why are you delaying?" yelled Otsuki.

The snake hissed and it succeeded in wrapping Kouji tightly, barely letting him breath and almost breaking his bones. The sorcerer smirked and he let Sayuri go, he wanted to see what she would do in that situation. Uso hissed and showed its fangs to Kouji again while he uselessly tried to release. Finally, the snake got bored and threw its prey to the ground, letting him breath before launching again.

"No!" yelled Sayuri desperately.

Unexpectedly, Uso stopped its attack and turned to see her with interest. Sayuri ran to Kouji's side and she took the katana defiantly, she wasn't going to let him die. How could she? He had been the only one to be kind to her, the only one that never glanced her in disgust like all her classmates, the only one to look at her and not turn away in fear. She didn't care if she had to pay the price for interfering in the way of the snake and its pray, she wouldn't let it get close to Kouji and hurt him.

"Move, Miyahara" demanded Otsuki.

"No! He's here because of me!" replied Sayuri and she observed the katana "Hikari…….that's what that woman said"

"I'm sorry to deceive you but Aki wasn't very good with spells" said Otsuki "Uso, don't worry, I'll give you a great prize for fighting with the boy"

The snake hissed and vanished in front of Sayuri. Sen Otsuki clapped twice and his dimension began darkening, the two teenagers appeared on the bench and the bell rang.

"I'm beginning to hate snakes" commented Kouji.

"Are you okay?" asked Sayuri.

"Yes and I'm not tired" replied Kouji while getting up "That katana really helped me"

"Kouji! Sayuri!" called Kouichi.

"We're here" replied Kouji.

"I hope you two didn't get bored while we were at the music club" said Yi Jie.

"I doubt it" said Kouichi in a teasing tone and he frowned after he waited for Sayuri's reply "Hey, aren't you going to reply?"

"You don't look well" commented Yi Jie and she placed a hand on her cousin's forehead "You're cold!"

"I'm fine. Let's go" replied Sayuri but she stumbled.

"Are you sure you're okay?" asked Kouichi "Your face is even paler"

After a long discussion, Sayuri let Kouji give her a piggyback until they arrived to the shrine. Kouichi began teasing her but he soon got bored after not receiving answers from Sayuri.

"It doesn't matter, I can tease you tomorrow" he said.

"Shut up" replied Sayuri and she closed her eyes, letting herself fall asleep.

"Well, she's not faking. I'm sure" commented Yi Jie "Anyways, it was worse last time"

"What do you mean?" asked Kouji.

"My grandmother organized a party at her house with dozens of guests like every year" started Yi Jie "My brother was invited much to his dismay but I'm glad that he assisted or Sayuri could be now at an hospital"

"Why?" asked Kouichi.

"Sayuri was descending the stairs when she suddenly fainted and she was about to fall from a big height" said Yi Jie "Luckily, my brother was behind her and he reacted fast enough to catch her arm"

"So your brother saved her" said Kouji.

"I guess. If she had fallen from that height, she could be….dead right now" said Yi Jie "When Xu pulled her against him, Sayuri was unconscious"

"What did the doctor say?" asked Kouichi.

"Well, we've never known why Sayuri faints so often" replied Yi Jie "She's consulted many doctors but none of them know the reason of her fainting fits"

"So she's ill?" asked Kouichi.

"Well, she's always been ill" said Yi Jie "Grandpa is worried for her but he doesn't know what to do"

"I see" said Kouichi "We're almost there"

"I'll go for auntie" said Yi Jie.

But it wasn't necessary because Jiang Li was already waiting for them at the arch. She got very worried after seeing her daughter and she remembered her husband's last days. She helped Kouji and leaded him to Sayuri's room, asking him to lay her on the bed.

"She'll be fine" said Jiang Li but she wasn't very convinced.

"I suppose she needs to rest" commented Yi Jie after entering the room.

"You're right" said Jiang Li "Come with me"

"I'd like to stay but I should go home" said Kouji "And I'm sure that she won't wake up until noon"

"Don't worry" replied Jiang Li while closing the door.

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

"There's our charming prince!" screamed a group of girls after spotting Kouichi.

Friday arrived and Kouichi sweatdropped after the bunch of girls surrounded him after school ended, barely letting him move. Kouji sighed in annoyance but he helped his brother to escape from all the girls. 

"Thanks" said Kouichi.

"You're welcome" replied Kouji.

"You've got too many admirers but I can't believe that you allow them to call you 'charming prince'" said Sayuri "That's childish"

"But they're nice with me" replied Kouichi "I wonder why they aren't after you, Kouji"

"Because I avoid them and don't let them get close" said Kouji.

"But you don't avoid Sayuri" teased Kouichi.

"She's my friend" said Kouji.

"And I don't bug him" added Sayuri and she coughed "By the way, mom asked me to tell you that you two can't visit us tomorrow"

"Why not?" asked Kouichi.

"Because my br-" said Yi Jie but Sayuri covered her mouth.

"Because……because you can't!" said Sayuri.

"Fine" said Kouji.

"What about Sunday?" asked Kouichi.

"We'll see you until Monday! Now, let's go, Yi Jie" replied Sayuri.

"But there's nothing wrong with m-" said the Chinese girl.

"Bye!" said Sayuri as she dragged Yi Jie down the street.

"What's wrong with her? She looked terrible yesterday" commented Kouichi.

"I don't know" replied Kouji "But I doubt that Mrs. Miyahara doesn't want us to visit them"

"Sayuri must be hiding something" stated Kouichi.

"Yes" agreed Kouji "But what could it be?"

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Hi! It's been a long time! Hope you enjoyed the chapter and your holidays. I'm also glad to tell you that I survived those days at my uncle's place. My little cousins were driving me mad (the oldest is 9) but I got Evanescence's CD so I got a bit happier. =) Anyways, I'm quite sad because my best friend's birthday is this weekend and I won't be able to congratulate her. But I'll send her a postcard, if at least she had given me her number before moving…..-_-

I think I'll use jealousy in the next chapter, it could work. I've got many ideas but I also want to start with my next fanfic. I have funny ideas and I've also looked for good words. 

**_By the way, if you're another author of FFNET….. Do you know how to delete a story? I'd like to delete one of my stories in Fiction press but I don't know how to do it. Or at least a chapter…..please! Besides, one of my friends (not Amy) wants to delete one of her stories too but when she asked me, I didn't know what to reply. _**

Tenshi Catori: You changed your nick! But I don't know if Catori means something because Tenshi means angel in Japanese (or at least that's what I think) Thanks for continue reading and reviewing. And yes, I'm much more weirder! (But what I meant is that I'm beginning to understand what you want to say) Spanish is my first language so that's why I got many constructive critics in one of my stories of fictionpress =)  About the font, I was in a hurry, that's why I didn't change it (In fact, I didn't even noticed that the font changed) My mom asked me to turn off the computer and I barely had time to update the story because everybody had told me: _'We're leaving on Friday'_ and we left on Sunday. Besides, my Internet wasn't cooperating -_- Anyways, thanks for updating! Hope you enjoyed your holidays and see you soon! =)

Izumi-Star: Thanks for continue reading and reviewing! You like Syaoran-kun too! Yes, he's so kawaii and cute anmd handsome……=P I'd continue the list because he's also brave and smart (See?) Before I watched Frontier, he was my favorite character from all the anime shows I've watched (But what can I say? The twins are so cute too!) Anyways, he's my favorite character in CCS! =P Well, see you soon and hope you enjoyed both your holidays and the chapter!

I Am A Sly Slytherin: Thanks! I'm glad you like the story and that you're still reading it! Well, I hope you enjoyed your holidays and the chapter! Thanks for reviewing twice! See you! =)

LonelyWindFairy: Thanks for reading and reviewing! Did you enjoy holidays? I hope so. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I love Kouji's ponytail but you know, you can't enter the TV and play with it (But I could try, though) =P Anyways, see you soon! =)

Kara: Hi! (I've already written Hi but I like to write that word, sorry) Hope you enjoyed holidays and the chapter!…Wen Tang is a creepy character but I can use her for many things, she'll be unpredictable in many occasions. Sayuri's leaving only for holidays as you can see and because most of her family lives at Hong Kong. Well, about your story, you could think in a funny anecdote and change it a bit (that's what I'm going to do in my next story), then you could add dangers and more funny clothes! Well, that's all for now……See you soon! =)

Misaki: Hehe….It was my fault again, I couldn't check the preview because I was in a hurry so I didn't upload the chapter again. My mom told me to turn off the computer just after I updated and I barely had time to log off FFNET. My family had first told me: We're leaving on Friday. I had time but my Internet wasn't working very good because I tried to update on Tuesday but I couldn't! -_- About the slaps…..they can help me in my stories ****evil giggles**** There's an irony, my grandmother is the opposite to Wen Tang: she's nice and she rarely scolds me or my brother (And that's strange because we're not angels) =P I agree with you! Kittens are kawaii! They're really cute! =) About your e-mail it was really funny! Thanks! You're evil! MWAHAHAHA =P But I'm evil too! MWAHAHAHAHA (I could ask Amy to come next week but if I do that, I must get a grip on myself) By the way, did you get sugar cubes? I couldn't even get a lollypop! T_T (I wonder if I could write an insane fanfic about Digimon, it'd be fun) Well, I must stop writing or this will take up too much space, see you! =P 

~~~Li Kasumi


	14. The overprotective brother and Yi Jie's ...

Hi again! I wonder why I don't get tired of writing this greeting. I need creativity. Where's Amy T when you need her? I could let her come next time. (Did I tell you that she chose the T because her boyfriend's last name begins with that letter?) Anyways, I must begin the chapter. (I wonder if someone reads this) 

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon nor its characters. I only own my original characters: Sayuri, Jiang Li, Yi Jie, etc. 

'_Italics_'- thoughts

Please read, enjoy and review. English isn't my first language so I apologize for my grammar. =P

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                                                                    **_THE LONEWOLF MEETS HIS MATCH_**

By Li Kasumi

Saturday arrived at the Miyahara Shrine but it had two visitors: Xu Seung and Bai Yong. Both teenagers had been invited by Jiang Li to stay at the shrine a week before. Xu was Yi Jie's brother and Bai was his cousin, by his father's family. 

"I'm really glad that you accepted to come" commented Jiang Li after having breakfast.

"Thank you, auntie" replied Xu "I hadn't come to Japan since I was twelve"

"What about you, Bai?" asked Jiang Li.

"Well, I came here last year" replied Yi Jie's cousin and he messed his chestnut hair "My mom likes Tokyo a lot"

"I see" said Jiang Li "You look taller, Xu"

The Chinese teenager grinned and his amber eyes fixed on his sister. He was glad that she was at Japan with his aunt and cousin instead of being at Hong Kong with his authoritarian grandmother. He had short black hair and his skin was quite paler than his sister. Like Sayuri, he also liked practicing martial arts and he often beat her in combat.

Bai Yong was 17 years old and he was Xiang Seung's nephew. His hazel eyes matched his chestnut hair and his slightly tanned skin. He didn't like practicing martial arts like Xu but he had to because he liked wooing others' girlfriends and he had to defend himself from the jealous boyfriends.

"Little cousin, you haven't even talked" said Xu.

"Well, I don't know what to say" replied Sayuri emotionlessly.

"You could discuss with me about the dress you'll wear" said Xu while raising his eyebrows "I also think you can wear make-up"

"Look, just because you saved me from falling, it doesn't mean that I must do everything you want" snapped Sayuri, arms crossed.

"I'm almost 19 and I can't bug you like I used to do" said Xu and Sayuri snickered "But I think you owe me one and I brought a beautiful dress"

"Sayuri, why don't you wear the dress he brought? I'd also like to see you wearing one" said Jiang Li.

"And then, you can show us Shibuya" said Xu.

"What? No way!" said Sayuri.

"Sayuri, go to your room and change your clothes" said Jiang Li and she giggled "Yi Jie, please help her with the make-up"

"We'll see you later, dear cousin" said Xu and Bai giggled.

Minutes later, both Yi Jie and Sayuri came out from the room. Xu welcomed his cousin with the flash of Jiang Li's camera and he whistled after watching her.

"That dress really fits your curves, dear cousin" he said.

"Shut up!" replied Sayuri very embarrassed.

"But you look great! You're finally using lipstick!" said Jiang Li "I could phone Akiko and ask her to co-" 

"They're busy today!" interrupted Sayuri quickly.

"Then, take a coat or a sweater and show them the city" said Jiang Li "I'll be cooking dinner and doing other things"

"Fine" replied Sayuri.

"Thank you for everything, madam" said Bai.

"You're welcome" replied Jiang Li.

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

"Another place you can show us?" asked Xu and he checked his watch "It's almost 6:00 p.m."

"We've visited almost all the places in Shibuya" said Sayuri "Besides, mom is waiting for us at the shrine and I want to get rid of this clothes"

"You don't like to wear that dress, do you? But I think you look really pretty, Ms. Miyahara" said Bai.

"Thanks" replied Sayuri.

"He's single, Sayuri" said Xu teasingly "So I think that you two could spend sometime together"

"So? I don't want a boyfriend" snapped Sayuri.

"Don't mind her. She's a bit weird" said Xu to his oldest cousin.

_'But attractive too'_ thought Bai and he messed his hair _'Yi Jie is my cousin but Sayuri Miyahara isn't and if she proves to be a challenge…..I'll get interested in her'_

"I'm thirsty" said Yi Jie "Could we go to a café?"

"Sure" replied Sayuri.

Xu and Bai walked behind Yi Jie and Sayuri, keeping their distance. Bai observed the Miyahara girl carefully and smirked. He had never dated a girl that had a Japanese man for father and a Chinese woman for mother but it'd be funny.

_'Her skin is pale and the dress suits her very well'_ thought Bai _'The make-up makes her look even more beautiful and that locks of hairs that fall down her cheek make her look attractive'_

"What are you thinking?" asked Xu, interrupting his cousin's thoughts.

"How old is your cousin?" asked Bai and he smirked.

"She's sixteen and single, never had a boyfriend before" replied Xu "If you want, I can leave you alone with her for a moment"

"What about Yi Jie?" asked Bai after raising an eyebrow.

"I can distract her but I must tell you something, Sayuri practices martial arts" said Xu.

"No wonder why she looks even prettier" said Bai.

"She needs a boyfriend but don't be rude with her or my aunt will kill me" said Xu.

"Don't worry" replied Bai.

"Hey! Hurry!" called Sayuri.

The Chinese teenagers followed her and entered a café. They ordered their drinks and Xu began talking with Yi Jie about their mother and their grandmother. Xu insisted that their mother should live in another place, far away from their grandmother. The drinks arrived soon and they interrupted the argument for a while but Xu restarted the argument and Yi Jie got upset.

Not so far from there, a group of girls were watching them with curiosity and one of them got a good idea. She took out a cell phone and dialed a number.

"What are you going to do, Megumi?" asked Junko.

"Wait a moment" replied the brunette "Good afternoon, Minamoto. Why aren't you now with Sayuri Miyahara? She's with her cousin at the café near the Midori park"

"How did she get Minamoto's number?" whispered a blonde.

"……..And they're not alone, they're accompanied by two handsome boys" said Megumi "They look really happy and one of them is holding hands with Miyahara"

"Megumi is great" whispered Junko.

"He hung up. I'm glad his father gave me his number last year" stated Megumi "He'll come, I'm completely sure"

"You're evil" said Junko and all the girls laughed with her.

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

Kouji Minamoto was walking down the street with his brother, Kouichi Kimura. He was really annoyed after Megumi phoned him and for once, Kouichi decided not to bug him. The older twin was really curious about the boys accompanying Sayuri and Yi Jie, it could be true what Megumi Sugiyama told Kouji because Sayuri had acted strangely the day before. 

The twins soon arrived to the café and they immediately spotted Megumi and her group of friends but they didn't see Sayuri nor Yi Jie.

"Minamoto! Here!" called Megumi. 

"Where's Sayuri?" snapped Kouji.

"Hi!" greeted the other girls.

"Hi" greeted back Kouichi.

"I don't see Sayuri with another boy" said Kouji with arms crossed.

"They left a few minutes ago because Miyahara's cousin got upset and began crying" replied Junko.

"Yi Jie began crying? Why?" asked Kouichi.

"I don't know but she was arguing with a black-haired boy" replied Megumi.

"Let's go to the shrine" said Kouji.

"They must be there" said Kouichi and he waved goodbye at the girls "See you on Monday"

"See you!" replied the group of girls.

The twins left the café and began their way to the Miyahara Shrine. Kouichi wondered who that boy could be and what he could've said to make Yi Jie cry. They could be relatives from Hong Kong but then, why did Sayuri ask them not to visit them? He glanced his brother and suppressed a giggle, Kouji could barely hide the fact that he was jealous.

"That boys could be their relatives, you know" commented Kouichi suddenly.

"One could be Yi Jie's brother but who's the other boy?" said Kouji and he frowned "Besides, Sayuri's avoiding us"

"Calm down. Maybe, there's only one boy and Megumi lied" said Kouichi "The shrine is near and you can't go with that angry face"

Meanwhile, Xu was trying to talk with Yi Jie. His sister was avoiding him like a plague and he tried to calm her down and console her after their argument. Bai Yong slightly grinned and he coughed, trying to get everybody's attention.

"I think that Miss Sayuri and I should leave you two alone for a moment" he said and Xu nodded "You must be uncomfortable with our presence"

"Sayuri, please, go for a walk with him" said Xu "I need to talk with my sister in private"

"But…..just don't make her cry" replied Sayuri.

"Don't worry" said Xu.

"We'll be near" said Bai before walking away with Sayuri.

Once they were far enough, the Chinese teenager began talking about the weather and Hong Kong. Then, he began praising Sayuri but much to his surprise, she wasn't impressed with him and she even asked him not to call her by her name. Bai grinned, he loved challenges and he began drawing closer to Sayuri.

"Are you worried for Yi Jie?" he asked.

"Well, she's very sensitive" replied Sayuri and she frowned "Xu could've been softer with her"

"I agree with you but my cousin can be….a bit rude sometimes" said Bai.

"He should be gentler" said Sayuri, placing a hand on her forehead "I'm not feeling well. Please, let's return"

"I could carry if you want" offered Bai.

"No, thanks" replied Sayuri but she stumbled.

"Be careful, Ms. Miyahara" said Bai, getting so close that his face was a few inches from Sayuri's "I can help you"

"Please retreat" said Sayuri weakly, she was very dizzy "I don't like this kind of closeness with you"

"But you look very pale" said Bai and he flirtingly added "Hold onto me"

"Go for Xu, please" begged Sayuri, barely conscious "Go fo-…."

Sayuri lost consciousness but she fell against Bai's chest. The Chinese teenager smirked and he held her tightly against him with his left hand while his right hand slid down Sayuri's face. 

_'I can't believe this is so easy'_ he thought.

He raised Sayuri's chin and in the moment he was about to kiss her lips, something hard hit his head. He turned his eyes to the floor to see what had hit him and he immediately spotted a sneaker lying on the floor.

"What the he-" started Bai when he met a pair of furious blue eyes.

"What were you doing to Sayuri?" demanded Kouji.

"Who are you?" asked Bai, holding Sayuri more tightly.

"Don't touch her!" demanded Kouji angrily.

"If you don't want him to beat you……" said Kouichi and Bai let him hold Sayuri "Thanks"

"I thought she didn't have a boyfriend, that's what Xu told me" said Bai and he noticed that Kouji didn't have one sneaker "So it was you……"

"Yes, it was me" replied Kouji fiercely while glaring him.

"Kouichi? Kouji?" called a familiar voice from afar.

"Yi Jie! Hi! Over here!" called back Kouichi.

"What happened to her?" asked Yi Jie once she caught up with them.

"I think she fainted" replied Kouichi.

"Who are you?" asked Xu.

"He's Kouichi Kimura and the other boy is Kouji Minamoto" replied Yi Jie quickly "They're my classmates"

"I see" said Xu "I'm Xu Seung, Yi Jie's brother"

"Nice to meet you" greeted Kouichi and he turned his face to his brother "Kouji, stop glaring him, they're relatives"

"He almost kissed her" stated Kouji in an accusing tone.

"Bai! You should've called us when Sayuri fainted!" reproached Yi Jie and she turned to her brother "Xu, you weren't distracting me, were you?"

"Of course not!" replied Xu.

"Calm down. We must take Sayuri to the shrine" intervened Kouichi.

"You're right" said Yi Jie.

~*~*~*~*~**********~*~*~*~*~

"Are you sure you're feeling okay?" asked Jiang Li.

"Yes, I'm only tired" replied Sayuri.

"Why are you wearing that dress?" asked Kouji, arms crossed and a frown on his face.

"I owed one to my cousin and mom also insisted" replied Sayuri.

"Who's the chestnut-haired boy?" asked Kouji. 

"His name is Bai Yong, he's Xu and Yi Jie's cousin" replied Sayuri "And the interrogatory is over"

"Why didn't you want me to come here today? That idiot was about to kiss you!" reproached Kouji.

"That he was about to what? Let me get him!" said Sayuri, trying to get up.

"Stay in your bed" said Jiang Li and she turned to Kouji "Tell me everything"

"She fainted and that….boy was about to kiss her but I threw him one of my sneakers" replied the lonewolf.

"I see" said Jiang Li, frowning "I must talk with Xu"

"Could you bring me something to eat?" asked Sayuri.

"Of course" replied Jiang Li "Wait here"

"Thank you, Kouji" said Sayuri "I'm glad you met us"

"You have to thank Sugiyama, she saw you at the café and phoned me" replied Kouji "I asked Kouichi to go with me there because I'm staying with mom today but when I arrived you have left and minutes later, I spotted you hugging him"

"I wasn't hugging him. I felt very tired and he got closer so I fell on him" explained Sayuri "He was flirting with me but I ignored him all the time, if Xu hadn't started that argument with Yi Jie…."

"He was distracting her" stated Kouji and he glanced the door "Lock your door and put a chair behind it before you sleep"

"I'll do that" replied Sayuri and she sighed "My mom is very worried for me"

"You've fainted more often, it's normal that she worries for you" said Kouji "Did you get hurt?"

"No, I only fainted" replied Sayuri "I felt very tired but nothing else happened"

"That's relieving" said Kouji.

"You told me that she was single!" muttered Bai Yong "That kid was ready to kill me!"

"I don't keep in touch with my mom's family! I didn't know that she had got a boyfriend!" muttered back Xu "You'd have flirted with her anyways"

"I better leave and go to a hotel. After your aunt scolded us, I don't want to stay here" whispered Bai "Besides, that kid is like your cousin's guardian dog! He doesn't even let me get close to her again"

"Don't tell me you're afraid of a boy with a ponytail" mocked Xu "Sayuri can't be interested in him, he looks like a girl with that long hair"

"Why don't we ask Yi Jie? She must know something" muttered Bai.

"Good idea" said Xu and they went to the dining room, just to find his sister talking happily with Kouichi "Yi Jie….."

"Auntie is mad at you" commented the Chinese girl.

"I know" said Xu and he glanced Kouichi "What are you doing still here? Your brother and you must leave, it's late"

"Xu! Don't bother Kouichi. He's been very kind and nice with me" intervened Yi Jie.

"It seems that the twins are a pair of Romeos" mocked Bai "But this one doesn't seem as brave as the other"

"Unlike you I _do_ have the courage to kiss a girl while she's awake" snapped back Kouichi "I don't have to wait for a girl to faint and steal her a kiss"

"Look, I can get any girl I want" said Bai.

"Kouichi, come with me to the kitchen" pleaded Yi Jie.

"You're not going anywhere with this kid" said Xu firmly.

"B-But I…..I want to talk with him" said Yi Jie.

"Go to your room" ordered Xu.

"You've already made her cry to let that excuse of Casanova flirt with Sayuri" intervened Kouichi "Just because you're her older brother it doesn't mean that she has to obey you in everything you ask her to do"

"Kouichi, come with me, please" begged Yi Jie while pulling his shirt.

"Don't get close to my sister" threatened Xu.

"Is something wrong?" interrupted Jiang Li after she suddenly went to the dining room.

"No, auntie" replied Xu but he glared Kouichi "I think that the _likeable_ twins should leave, it's getting late"

"Don't worry for us, we live near" said Kouichi while glaring Xu back.

"Xu could be right, though" said Jiang Li "Why don't you phone your mom?"

"That's a good idea" said Yi Jie and she tapped Kouichi on the shoulder "Come with me"

"Sure" replied the boy.

"Yi Jie, you're n-" started Xu when a glare from his aunt silenced him.

"What did your mom say?" asked Yi Jie.

"She told me it's okay if I stay a bit longer" replied Kouichi.

"Really? I'm glad" said Yi Jie and she frowned "But try to stay the furthest away you can from my brother"

"I'm not scared of him" stated Kouichi "He's very tall and looks strong, I can't deny that, but I'm not a chicken"

"But he…..I…..I don't want him to hurt you" said Yi Jie.

"Don't worry, I know how to take care of myself" replied Kouichi and he grinned "Besides, it wouldn't be the first time that a strong boy tries to make me avoid his sister"

"What do you mean?" asked Yi Jie.

"Well, at my other school……it's hard to explain" said Kouichi "I wasn't a Romeo like your cousin said but I-" 

"You also like wooing girls like him? So you've had lots of girlfriends?" snapped Yi Jie and she realized something she had done "I…I am sorry for interrupting you. I'm really sorry, please accept my apologies"

"The answer to the first question is No unless I really fancied a girl and……I've had a few girlfriends" replied Kouichi "But like I told you before, I'm not like your cousin"

"But you told those girls at school that you're single" said Yi Jie.

"I'm single" said Kouichi and he sighed deeply "I broke up with my girlfriend……..a month before my grandma died"

"Why?" asked Yi Jie.

"Why?" repeated Kouichi and he laughed self-pitying "I guess she never really liked me. She thought that if she dated a handsome boy, she'd be as popular as she had always wanted to be"

"That's horrible" stated Yi Jie "Do you still feel something for her?"

"Well, I suppose she kinda hurt my pride and my feelings" replied Kouichi "I can't still believe that I was so naïve and that a girl would do me that"

"Poor you" said Yi Jie.

"Let's talk about something else" said Kouichi "You told Xu that you wanted to talk with me"

"That was because I wanted to keep him away from you" said Yi Jie "But we can talk about whatever you want"

"Really?" asked Kouichi "We can talk about whatever I want?"

"Yes" replied Yi Jie.

"Then, tell me why you're submissive and shy" said Kouichi "You easily let your brother and your grandmother order you, you let them control you"

"Well, I-I…..y-you ca-can't u-understand" said Yi Jie nervously and looking away "I'm responsible for many things"

"What things?" asked Kouichi.

"I don't have to tell you, it's family business!" replied Yi Jie and after a long pause she shook her head "I'm sorry, I don't usually let myself get angry at someone but……"

"But there are times when you can't control your anger or frustration" interrupted Kouichi and Yi Jie nodded "It's okay, I understand"

"E-Even after I yelled at you?" asked Yi Jie.

"Even after you yelled at me. In fact, I'm glad you did that, it shows that you can also get angry and defend yourself" said Kouichi.

"Could you visit me tomorrow in the afternoon? Xu and Bai will return to Hong in the morning" said Yi Jie.

"Sure" replied Kouichi "I'll also bring Kouji at that hour, I wouldn't like him to see your cousin again"

"By the way, how did you know that we were at that café?" asked Yi Jie.

"Megumi Sugiyama phoned Kouji and told him that so we went there but you had already left and in our way to the shrine, we saw Sayuri with your cousin" replied Kouichi "I suppose they were alone because you were arguing with Xu"

"Yes, that makes sense" said Yi Jie.

"Hey, will your brother and cousin come again?" asked Kouichi.

"I suppose my brother will but I don't think Bai would ever want to return" replied Yi Jie.

"He better not or Kouji will kill him" said Kouichi and he grinned "You should've seen him when we spotted Sayuri and Bai, he was furious"

"He was still angry when I arrived with Xu" said Yi Jie "I suppose jealousy was the only thing in his mind in that moment"

"Yeah……." agreed Kouichi "Well, I must go"

"I thought you'd stay a bit longer" said Yi Jie.

"Kouji is coming with me and I'll delay in convincing him to leave" explained Kouichi "My father lets Kouji stay with us on weekends and he'll stay at my place tonight and tomorrow"

"I see" said Yi Jie.

"But don't get sad, we'll come tomorrow" said Kouichi.

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

"Where would you like to go?" asked Kouichi.

"I don't know" replied Yi Jie emotionlessly.

"What's wrong? You look sad" said Kouichi.

"Well, I……I argued with my brother before he left" replied Yi Jie.

"I see" said Kouichi and he patted her on the shoulder "But he's gone now, relax"

"You're right" said Yi Jie and she smiled weakly "I'm surprised that you didn't tease Kouji and Sayuri today"

"Well, Sayuri looked tired and Kouji was worried for her" said Kouichi "And your aunt could get mad at me"

"I don't think so, auntie is very nice and understanding" said Yi Jie "Besides, she could've had fun too"

"I guess" replied Kouichi "How about going to the museum? There's a restaurant near and we can have lunch there"

"Sure" said Yi Jie.

_'It's like a date'_ she thought and blushed.

"You know, this is like a date" commented Kouichi "Yes, I think we can consider this occasion a date between you and me"

"Really?" asked Yi Jie shyly.

"Yeah…..let's go" replied Kouichi.

He leaded her through the streets until they arrived to a white building with a big sign. They entered it and after showing their students' credentials, they began walking through the museum. They went here and there, joking and making fun of some pictures. After seeing many pictures and sculptures, they decided to leave and have lunch at the restaurant Kouichi mentioned before. Once there, they ordered their meals and their drinks.

"Did you have fun?" asked Kouichi.

"Of course" replied Yi Jie "You're very funny and I enjoyed seeing all the pictures"

"Do you remember the one with the boy eating an apple?" asked Kouichi.

"Yes, the expression on his face made me laugh" replied Yi Jie and their lunch arrived.

"What would you like to do after this?" asked Kouichi.

"It's still cold at Shibuya but I'd like to go to a park" said Yi Jie.

"That's fine with me" said Kouichi "Well, let's eat"

With a nod, Yi Jie and Kouichi began eating but they occasionally stopped to talk about many things. Once they were done, Kouichi paid and they left the restaurant, leading for a park that Kouichi knew very well.

"Kouichi, do you think I'm weak?" asked Yi Jie suddenly.

"No, but I think you're shy" replied Kouichi.

"Thank you" said Yi Jie and she blushed slightly while playing with her fingers "So…..what kind of girl does a boy like you like?"

"Well, it's hard to tell……it depends on many things" replied Kouichi "For example, I've met plenty of pretty girls but only a few are nice or smart"

"So you like nice and smart girls" stated Yi Jie, still playing with her fingers.

"Basically, but you know, each girl has her own virtues and defects. I could meet a nice girl who's not very smart but if she has many qualities that I like, I could fancy her" said Kouichi "Besides, it also depends if she has things in common with me"

"I see" said Yi Jie "So what would you do if you fancy a girl?"

"Well, we'd have to become friends first and I'd begin dating her" replied Kouichi and he laughed "But my mom had to know her, she gets a bit jealous of a girl that's dating me"

"Well, she's your mom after all" said Yi Jie.

"Yeah….she can be overprotective too" commented Kouichi and he sighed "This is the park"

"Thanks for taking me here" said Yi Jie.

"You're welcome" replied Kouichi and he pointed a bench "Let's sit over there"

"Sure" said Yi Jie.

Once they sat, Yi Jie remembered her brother's last words before leaving and she saddened again, he was so right about the torture that was living with her grandmother…….so right. But what saddened her even more, was the thought that she could become as weak as her mother. 

"You're sad again" said Kouichi.

"I'm sorry, I must be ruining your day" replied Yi Jie "It's just that all this quietness reminded me of the silence that surrounds me at Hong Kong"

"You aren't ruining my day. In fact, I've had fun and I'd like to go out with you again, Yi Jie" said Kouichi.

"Really?" asked the Chinese girl and Kouichi nodded "Thanks, you're an angel"

"Can you tell Kouji that? He thinks I'm the opposite" said Kouichi.

"That's because you tease him too much" said Yi Jie, feeling more cheerful.

"I know but it's funny. You could help me to get those two together" said Kouichi.

"But I must warn you that Sayuri can hit you with her fan again" said Yi Jie.

"I can endure that" said Kouichi "So, what do you say? Will you help me?"

"Yes" was the reply.

"Great! I think we should get going, it's getting colder and you dislike the cold" said Kouichi.

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

It was another normal day at school and as a normal day, Kouichi was being surrounded by his _'fans'_. Rei, Ai and Youko were delighted with him like the rest of the girls and they were offering him candies, cookies and many things. That was until a very annoyed Kouji called him.

"Come here, Romeo! You've already got cookies from another girl!" he said.

"That's right" said Kouichi and he smiled at the girls "Excuse me but I forgot that Yi Jie had already given me a bag of cookies"

"You're……...rejecting………us?" chorused all the girls and they began crying in anime style.

"No, of course not. But I'm stuffed" replied Kouichi after sweatdropping "If you want, I can eat your cookies later"

"Do you promise?" asked the girls.

"Yes, I promise" replied Kouichi and he smiled at them.

"How cute!!!!!!" exclaimed the girls "We'll see you later, _charming prince_!"

"Right" said Kouichi and once the girls were gone, he sighed in relief.

"Hi!" greeted Megumi and Junko at Ai and her group of friends.

"Hi" greeted back the girls.

They were at the cafeteria, waiting for the bell to ring and classes to begin once again. Anyways, Ai and her friends were surprised that Megumi was talking to them. The brunette had always been popular at any place and because of that, she had chosen to befriend only the most popular girls and boys at school. Rei, Ai and Youko weren't very popular but they had their own group of friends, that was well-known for having crushes on good-looking boys. 

"So you like Kouichi Kimura" began Megumi and she frowned "Too bad that there's someone else in his life"

"What do you mean? He's single" said Ai.

"Yes, he's still single" said Megumi "But you're forgetting that Yi Jie girl"

"We know he rejected your candies for her cookies" added Junko "He seems to like her a lot"

"They'd make a nice couple if Yi Jie Tang liked him back" said Megumi "She's already found someone else"

"And why are you telling us this? If Yi Jie has already a boyfriend, we don't have to worry for Kouichi" said Rei.

"But she's trying to get Kimura" said Junko "Why else would she bake cookies for him and spend most of her time with him?"

"You're trying to tell us that she's a two-timer?" asked Youko and both Megumi and Junko nodded "And how do you know all you've told us?"

"Because we saw her last Saturday with a black-haired boy, they were kissing" said Megumi.

"We warned Kimura but he arrived when Yi Jie and her boyfriend left" said Junko "The poor boy thought we lied and as you can see, he's still befriending Yi Jie Tang"

"That girl is very sly, she acts as a nun here but you should've seen her at the café" said Megumi poisonously "She was wearing a miniskirt and by the way she was kissing with the boy…….I wouldn't be surprised if she had gone to a hotel to make out with him"

"Yes, she uses her angelic face with Kouichi and he believes everything she tells him" added Junko.

"That whore! She'll pay for what she's doing!" said Ai and all her friends nodded.

"Well, the bell is about to ring" said Megumi "See you"

"See you" replied the girls.

"Do you think they lied?" asked Rei once Megumi and Junko were gone.

"No, they seemed sincere" said Youko.

"Besides, what would they win?" said a girl named Akane.

"Akane has got a point" said Ai "And Megumi is right in many things"

"Yi Jie Tang won't get our prince" said Youko and all her friends agreed "She won't"

"But Megumi, I still doubt that it'll work" said Junko.

"It'll work" replied the brunette and she laughed "I can't still believe those freaks could be so gullible, they believed each word"

"But you want to bug Miyahara and we don't know how much she cares for her cousin" said Junko.

"I'm sure she cares and she won't know what to do when Rei's group begin annoying Yi Jie" said Megumi "She'll think that it's her fault and her cousin will be as unpopular as her"

"That's a good plan" said Junko "The Chinese girl will be in trouble"

"Exactly" said Megumi and she smirked "Yi Jie Tang has won enemies and she'll wish not to have come to Japan"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Like I said, there was a bit of jealousy. I wonder what I'll write for my next chapter, probably something about Rei, Ai and Youko bugging Yi Jie. I also need to make Yi Jie become happier and more like a normal girl but in a slow way. I guess I'll need patience with myself ***sigh***

Once again, thanks for reviewing.

**I've got a grammar question: Is it We have all been or We all have been? And another question about vocabulary: How do you call the room at schools where you can change your clothes for Physical Education?**

**Please, reply.**

**_Spoiler: (WARNING: I can change some words)_**

After falling on her knees, she sat on the wet grass, not caring if she was getting soaked. All she knew was that she wanted to cry with the rain, she wanted to erase all her memories. Would somebody care? N-Yes. There were people who cared for her, her family. But did she really have a family? Besides, her family had to care for her, it was a compromise. No, she wanted someone to care for her without having that duty. 

While watching the rain, she saddened. She had always hated silence, it was a constant reminder of her failures. It was like drowning in her own grief, in her own sorrow. It was living all the pain again and again, without a break.

misaki: Hehe. Thanks for everything. But I wonder if I'd have the time to write an insane fanfic and I had the same idea, to make someone high on sugar. =P (Just to let you know) And I'd need to be on a sugar high too but I've been a bit sick so I can't go for sugar or candies. Buaaaaaaa!!!!! This world is cruel! (But I'll forgive it because there's still sugar at home but mom won't let me find it) =(  About writing the other stories, one will be another AU while the other will be an action/adventure/romance and bit of humor story that sets 5 years after the digidestined saved the digiworld. (I've spent some of my time in vacations thinking in the funny things and decided that I'll write some anecdotes in that story) But I must write them after I finish this story or I'll have a writer's block or something. 

About Xu, he'll appear in chapter 16 or 17, I think it's convenient. But Bai…….I don't know if he'll appear again. And I also wonder if there's a sugar shortage but at least I got one chocolate yesterday. See you soon and thanks for R&R!

I Am A Sly Slytherin: Thanks for your compliments, this mean a lot for me. (I haven't got many talents) Thanks for reading and reviewing, hope you enjoyed the chapter. See you!

Izumi-Star: Hi! Gee…..thanks for the compliments and for R&R. =) I agree, Syaoran is so cute!!! And like you, school is taking up my time. But I updated today! Well, hope you enjoyed the chapter (because I didn't like it at all, nor my vacations……little cousins) See you!

Tenshi Catori: Thanks for R&R! Yes, I like magic and all that stuff! I'll see this weekend about those series (I've got lots of homework and exams…..are coming!) Happy New Year to you too! See you!

Kara: Hi! An anecdote is a funny or interesting story about something that happened to you. About your compliment, thanks!!! I feel so good ***sniff*** See you soon! =P

Blue Savage: Hi! ***sniff*** Thanks! I never thought that someone would tell me something like that…..That's nice of you. Yeah….I update every week and I'd update sooner if I had the time but school is school. ***sigh*** Besides, there are times when my Internet doesn't work and I have to 'fight' the computer with my brother. And yes, the twins are (can't find words to describe them) perfect! I'd like to thank the one who created them…..Well, I must go. See you!

Kana: Hi! Don't worry, I can understand. Yeah….Yi Jie is very soft but let's give her a chance. I'm glad I made you laugh (maybe I can work on that insane fic after all) Mysteries, I also love them and I'll try to bring some more. See you!

~~~Li Kasumi


	15. Pranks and a first kiss?

Hi again! I'll bring Amy T. for the next chapter (it'll be around her birthday and I haven't bought her gift) =P The usual disclaimer: I don't own Digimon nor its characters. I own my original characters: Sayuri, Jiang Li, Yi Jie, etc.

Please read, enjoy and review. =)

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                                                           **_THE LONEWOLF MEETS HIS MATCH_**

By Li Kasumi

Another day at school began on Tuesday. Rei, Ai, Youko and some of her friends were already at the classroom, waiting for Yi Jie to arrive. They were angry at her and they were ready to fight for their charming prince. Last week, they wouldn't care if Kouichi was already Yi Jie's boyfriend because she seemed to be nice but after Megumi and Junko told them the day before…….that girl was going to pay a high price.

After waiting a few minutes, Yi Jie and Sayuri arrived together and they went to sit on their seats. Kouichi's fans nodded and approached to them.

"Hi!" they greeted.

"Hi" greeted back Yi Jie and Sayuri also greeted after a few seconds.

"Hey, Yi Jie, you like playing the piano, don't you?" asked Youko.

"Yes, I do" replied Yi Jie.

"Do you think you could play something for us later?" asked Rei.

"Sure" replied Yi Jie.

"Great! We'll wait for you at the music classroom at lunch" said Youko.

"We've got things to do, excuse us" said Ai.

"They're strange" murmured Sayuri once the girls left the classroom.

"Is everything ready?" asked Ai.

"Yes. Akane and Kaoru got the paint and the other things" said Rei "We only have to wait"

"Fine. That whore will learn not to two-time" said Youko and the bell rang "Let's return to the classroom"

They did as Youko suggested and saddened after seeing Kouichi's empty seat. Out of the blue, the door was briskly slid and the twins appeared. Kouji and Kouichi sighed in relief, they barely made it to the classroom in time because Professor Fuji was making her way to the classroom.

"I told you to wake up earlier" murmured Kouichi.

"I thought it was earlier" murmured back Kouji.

"I tried to wake you but you were whispering" said Kouichi.

"Whispering?" repeated Kouji while walking with him towards their seats.

"You were calling Sayuri" teased Kouichi.

"You're lying" said Kouji.

"Of course not" said Kouichi confidently.

"If you tell her a word about that, consider yourself dead" said Kouji.

"Fine. I won't ask what you were dreaming" teased Kouichi "I'd like to know, though"

"I…. beat her in a martial arts combat and I was……celebrating" said Kouji.

"Really?" asked Kouichi suspiciously while walking "That's what you dreamed?"

"Yes" replied Kouji "And if you tell her something…….."

"Good morning" greeted Yi Jie and Sayuri, breaking the twins' conversation.

"Good morning" greeted back the twins while taking seat.

"You arrived later than usual" stated Sayuri.

"It was Kouji's fault. He was fast asleep and I needed a bucket of water to wake him" said Kouichi and Yi Jie giggled.

"But I doubt he lamented to do what he did, he was very entertained after I woke up" said Kouji.

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

"Hey, where's your cousin?" asked Kouji.

"She went with Kouichi's fans, they asked her to play the piano for them" replied Sayuri.

"Why aren't you with her? Kouichi will scold you" said Kouji.

"I'm not scared of him and I think that it's okay for Yi Jie to go without me" said Sayuri "It's for the best"

"Sayuri, cheer up, you can also make friends if you want" said Kouji and he bit his sandwich "Just be nicer and less cold with people"

"Look who's talking" replied the black-haired girl.

"I have a family and two friends, I don't need something else" said Kouji "But you should get other companies beside me"

"Are you forgetting I'm cursed?" murmured Sayuri and she lowered her head "I could die tomorrow and my mom would be alone"

"You won't die until you're old" said Kouji while raising her chin and facing her.

"Okay, okay. But retreat, you're too close" said Sayuri while blushing a bit.

"Sorry" said Kouji and he was about to retreat but when he least expected, someone pushed him and his lips ended touching Sayuri's.

After seconds of full shock, Sayuri got up and she saw Kouichi standing behind Kouji, with his hands behind Kouji's head. That was the last straw and she took out her fan.

"You're in big trouble, Kimura" she said threateningly but very red.

"Wait, I can explain, it was an accident" said Kouichi quite scared "Really, I didn't……"

"How could you?" exclaimed Sayuri and she whispered "It's my first kiss and in public……."

"So? It was with Kouji and you….." said Kouichi while receding "I think I should leave"

"You're not going anywhere" said Sayuri angrily "You went too far this time"

"She's right and you're dead!" exclaimed Kouji after he got up from his seat.

"B-Bye!" said Kouichi and he ran the fastest he could from them, leaving the classroom. 

'_Maybe I did go too far this time'_ he thought while running away from Kouji and Sayuri.

Meanwhile, Rei and her friends were walking with Yi Jie through the school until they arrived to the music classroom. Once there, they asked Yi Jie to begin playing the black piano and the Chinese girl went to sat. But strangely, a key practically _'jumped'_ just after Yi Jie touched it and in that moment, the music teacher came into the classroom.

"That music was really marve-……." said the teacher when she spotted the key of the piano on the floor "What happened here?"

"I don't know. Yi Jie was playing the piano when the key jumped" said Rei.

"My piano! My precious piano!" cried the teacher and she glared Yi Jie "What have you done?"

"But I don't understand, I didn't hit it or something" said Yi Jie, quite scared.

"You don't know how to treat a piano! Get out and you're expelled from the music club!" yelled the teacher.

"But I swear tha-" said Yi Jie.

"Out! I'll phone your parents! They must pay for what you did!" yelled the furious teacher.

"Come with us" said Ai while pushing Yi Jie.

"But it wasn't my fault" replied the Chinese girl.

"Let's go to the cafeteria" said Akane "You'll be better there"

"Okay" replied Yi Jie but she glanced the piano one last time.

They headed for the cafeteria and Yi Jie opened the door because the other girls didn't move. But in the moment she opened it and entered, a big bucket of red paint fell over her, staining her from head to toes.

"Oh my! Look what's happened!" exclaimed Ai, faking concern.

"Who could've done this?" said Akane.

"Quickly, you must change!" said Rei.

"But where?" asked Yi Jie.

"At the locker room!" replied Ai.

"Good idea" said Yi Jie and she was about to leave when Ai stopped her.

"We know how to get there without many people seeing you! Follow us!" said  the red-head.

"Sure" replied Yi Jie.

The Chinese girl followed the group of girls and they walked quickly through the school until Ai opened a door and told Yi Jie to enter there.

"What's that place?" she asked.

"Just enter" said the girls and they pushed Yi Jie.

"Hey!" she whined while falling to the floor.

The door was closed and Yi Jie tried to open it without success, it was stuck. She heard laughter and clenched her fists in frustration. Why did they fool her? She thought that they were being nice and were trying to befriend her but it was nothing but a bad joke. 

"Open the door!" she cried.

"We'll come for you in two hours" said Rei.

"Hope you enjoy the basement! You'll find dead insects and a corpse!" said Youko and her friends laughed.

"Why are you doing this? What have I done to you?" demanded Yi Jie.

"You're playing with our charming prince" said Akane.

"I don't understand" said Yi Jie but she got no reply "Open the door!"

She yelled but no one came to her rescue. The bell rang and she began yelling louder until the janitor heard her and opened the door. He kindly told her where she could go and after washing her face, she made her way to the classroom.

"Miss Tang, why are you late?" asked Mr. Kumazawa "And why are your clothes red?"

"Well, I delayed because I went to wash my face, someone played a joke on me and my clothes were stained with paint" replied Yi Jie.

"That's true. A bucket of red paint fell on her at the cafeteria, sir" said Michihiko Fujikami.

"I see. Miss Tang, take seat, then" said Mr. Kumazawa.

"Thank you, sir" said Yi Jie and she began her way to her seat but she fall right down on her face when Rei put her foot between the seats.

"Are you okay?" asked Mr. Kumazawa.

"Yes, I'm fine" replied Yi Jie.

"What happened?" asked Sayuri once her cousin was sat beside her.

"I'll tell you later" replied Yi Jie.

"Okay" replied Sayuri.

"Yi Jie, are you okay?" asked Kouichi.

"No" was the short reply.

Once Literature class was over, they headed towards the locker rooms to change because they had P. E. When Yi Jie opened her locker, her uniform fell on her and it was stained with paint. 

"But what's going on?" asked Sayuri.

"Do you have an uniform you can lend me?" asked Yi Jie.

"Yes, don't worry. It's clean" replied Sayuri and she patted her cousin before opening her locker "You're lucky that I always have an extra uniform"

"Yes, at Hong Kong you always had an extra uniform when Min Yue and the others hid it or something like that" commented Yi Jie and she sighed "I wonder if Qing and Shui miss me"

"They probably do" said Sayuri and she shrugged "After all, they're your friends"

"I never thought that someday I'd understand what you've felt when someone plays jokes on you, it's horrible" said Yi Jie after her cousin handed her an uniform.

"You're naïve but you'll learn" said Sayuri "Hurry up, we have to change"

"So, will you tell us what happened?" asked Kouichi.

"Your admirers played many jokes on me, they made me believe that they were being nice but thanks to them I'm expelled from the music club, a bucket of paint fell on me, I was locked me in the basement and my uniform is stained with paint" replied Yi Jie.

"But they're very nice" said Kouichi "Why would they do that?"

"Maybe because they're jealous of Yi Jie" said Kouji.

"Is that true, Yi Jie?" asked Kouichi.

"That's what I think, they mentioned you after locking me in the basement" replied the Chinese girl.

"They're in trouble" said Sayuri while frowning "I don't care if they are in love with Kouichi but they can't bug you for being his friend"

"Sayuri, don't get in trouble" said Yi Jie and she spoke louder "I-I want to prove that I can defend myself"

"But if they keep bugging you, I'll have a _'short'_ but _'funny'_ talk with them" said Sayuri "Come on, my mom is waiting"

"If you want, I can talk with them" offered Kouichi "If it's my fault, I'll try to-"

"I have to defend myself, Kouichi" interrupted Yi Jie, which took Sayuri by surprise "Don't intervene in this, please"

"She's right. Besides, you can't meddle in that kind of problems, they're women" said Kouji.

"By the way, why do you have all that bumps, Kouichi?" asked Yi Jie.

"Because that's what he deserves" said Sayuri and Kouji nodded.

"I made them a favor and they hit me" said Kouichi and he smirked "They should thank me, they kiss because of me"

"They what?" exclaimed Yi Jie.

"We didn't really kiss, our lips barely touched and it was _his_ fault" said Kouji while pointing to his twin and trying not to get embarrassed. 

"He pushed Kouji and his lips….touched mine" said Sayuri, who was very red.

"I wonder what mom and Mrs. Miyahara will say when I tell them what happened" commented Kouichi.

"You tell them that and you won't see the sun ever again" threatened Sayuri while glaring him.

"If you tell them just a word, I'll kill you slowly" said Kouji while lifting his brother by the collar.

"My lips are sealed" replied Kouichi, who was scared.

"And why aren't you two an item?" asked Yi Jie.

"Because we're friends" replied Sayuri.

"And because they're too shy and coward" added Kouichi and he was hit on the head by Sayuri.

"When I see you with a girl, I'll begin teasing you to no end" said Kouji "I'll have my revenge, you know"

"I'm not as coward as you, little brother" replied Kouichi "I'm older and more experienced, I've had girlfriends and they really missed me after I broke with them, except one"

"But I bet you didn't kiss them" mocked Kouji.

"I have" said Kouichi fiercely after feeling offended by his brother's comment "You think I can't get a girlfriend and kiss her?"

"Really?" asked Kouji softly after everyone but Kouichi blinked.

"Yes, I have" replied Kouichi and he coughed "Hey! Stop looking at me!"

"It's getting late, we must go, Sayuri" said Yi Jie "I want to take a bath and do my homework"

"Yeah……" said Sayuri.

"Hurry up" said Yi Jie and she began walking faster.

"Hey! Wait for me!" called Sayuri, leaving the twins behind.

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

That same afternoon, the twins were at Akiko's house. Like the day before, they were spending time together and while they were playing checkers, Akiko Kimura was cooking dinner at the kitchen.

"I won again" said Kouji.

"I can't believe you beat me in this" said Kouichi while glancing a board "I always beat my teachers at checkers"

"You're better than Sayuri but you can't still win me" said Kouji, while smirking.

"You don't let her win?" asked Kouichi with incredulity and Kouji shook his head "You need help with girls, I think I'll give you a few lessons"

"Hey! Who asked for your advice?" complained Kouji.

"Like I told you before, I'm more experienced" said Kouichi and he got up "Come on, I can teach you a thing or two"

"Why would I want to learn from you?" said Kouji.

"Because you could ruin everything, you're a rookie" replied Kouichi.

"In first place, I don't even know if I like Sayuri in the way you think" said Kouji.

"You do" said Kouichi firmly and he faced Kouji "Look, there are unmistakable signs: you care for her, you got jealous of Yi Jie's cousin, you try to be with Sayuri most of your time, you dream with her, you joke with her, you do a lot of things with her……."

"Okay, I got the point" said Kouji and he sighed "But what I mean is that I don't want to confuse love with friendship"

"Look, love is like….." said Kouichi but he remained silent for a long time "It's the feeling of liking and caring for someone so much that you would risk everything for that person's sake, that you begin doing crazy things just to get her attention, that you can't be one minute without listening her voice or seeing her face, that you-"

"Calm down" said Kouji and he raised an eyebrow "Have you been deeply in love with someone or what?"

"Well, I was infatuated with my last girlfriend and I really liked her but she….." said Kouichi and he turned away "She didn't really like me back"

"I see" said Kouji "I'm sorry for asking"

"I'm fine" said Kouichi and he shook his head "Why don't you ask mom?"

"I can't do that" said Kouji with arms crossed "I won't go and tell her: _Hi, mom. Can you tell me what's like to be in love?_"__

"Why not?" asked Kouichi.

"Because that's embarrassing" replied Kouji.

"Go with mom" insisted Kouichi and after getting many denials, he smirked "If you don't, I'll tell Sayuri that you dreamed with her last night"

"You won't if I tell mom that you didn't eat the salad she made yesterday" said Kouji "And you know she'll get very mad at you"

"Traitor" said Kouichi.

"Besides, there's no way I'll go and ask her that" said Kouji.

"I can't believe I'm doing this" muttered Kouji after entering the kitchen.

"What did Kouichi do this time?" asked Akiko once she saw her younger son.

"Nothing" answered Kouji.

"Really? That's a miracle" said Akiko and Kouji giggled "That boy is really naughty"

"Well, I……I came to ask you something" said Kouji softly.

"What is it?" asked Akiko and Kouji laughed nervously.

"Ah……whe-…ah…….h-how do you know if you're in love with someone?" he shyly asked.

"That's a good question. You should ask your father because he's a man but since you're asking me….I think I should answer" replied Akiko softly.

"I'd prefer to get your answer" said Kouji "Dad isn't a qualified person to answer that question"

"Well, in a boy's case, you love a girl……" began Akiko while Kouji listened with attention each word "…..when you care a lot for her and want to be with her all the time. You think in her every second and when you see her, you feel happy and complete. You want to know everything about her and you find her fascinating in every aspect. You think that there's no one better than her and if she's ever in danger, you'd risk even your life just to make sure she's safe. All you know is that you want to see her happy and when she smiles at you, you feel like if you were in heaven. And if she loves you back and shows you that, everything is perfect for you…….I think I got very inspired but _why do you ask_?"

"Ah….." said Kouji and he began laughing nervously "I was curious……yeah……just curious"

"I see" said Akiko, eyeing him suspiciously "Do you want to ask me something else?"

"N-No…..thank you" replied Kouji and he began advancing towards the door "I'll be playing checkers with Kouichi"

"Fine. Dinner will be ready soon" said Akiko.

                                                      ~*~*~*~*~***********************~*~*~*~*~

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday were three days of torture for Yi Jie Tang. Ai, Rei, Youko and their other friends kept bugging her in many ways: they hid her schoolbag, stole her homework, scared her with a fake snake, threw the cafeteria's leftovers on her and many other things.

Sayuri was really angry but Yi Jie asked her not to intervene, arguing that she'd solve the problem. Meanwhile, Kouichi was worried for her and tried to be nice with his 'fans' but they continued bugging Yi Jie.

The weekend was going to be a rest for Yi Jie but it was ruined when she received a call from Hong Kong. Xia He Tang was missing her and Wen Tang wanted her to return. Fortunately, her grandfather asked her to stay at Japan and have fun.

Monday arrived with a hard rain and another day of school arrived, with the news that exams would begin a week later. Once again, Kouichi's fans began bugging Yi Jie at lunch but this time, they went too far………

"Why don't you return to your mansion?" snapped Rei.

"Yeah……we now know that your family owns the Tang Co." said Youko "But if your last name is Tang…that means that your parents are divorced"

"How dare you? I hadn't intervened because she asked me not to but-" said Sayuri.

"Don't intervene, Sayuri" interrupted Yi Jie and she glared everyone but her cousin "You know nothing!"

"What do we have to know?" snapped Akane insolently "The nun needs her mommy because her daddy doesn't love her!"

"Stop!" demanded Yi Jie while clenching her fists.

"I know I shouldn't intervene but you're being too rude" said Kouichi to her fans.

"We're giving to her what she deserves, prince" replied Ai softly.

"Yeah…..she's a bad girl" added Rei.

"I bet she had the fault of her parents' divorce" said Youko.

That was the straw that broke the camel's back. In the least expected moment, the blonde had a red mark on her face. Yi Jie had just slapped her with all the strength she had and after doing that, she left the classroom running.

"Yi Jie! Wait!" called Sayuri.

"She slapped me" said Youko with incredulity.

"Sayuri, stay here" said Kouichi and he glanced the door "I'll go for Yi Jie"

"But-" complained Sayuri.

"He's her friend and can understand her better than you" said Kouji while patting Sayuri "Let him go for her"

"Hmm……Okay" replied Sayuri and with a nod, Kouichi went after Yi Jie.

Meanwhile, Yi Jie ran through the school until she arrived to the forest. She really didn't know how she got there but she was glad to be alone. Fresh tears began rolling down her cheeks while the rain continued. Many questions were confusing her mind…..Why did she accept to return to Japan? Why was she so meek? Why was her life so miserable and full of sadness?

After falling on her knees, she sat on the wet grass, not caring if she was getting soaked. All she knew was that she wanted to cry with the rain, she wanted to erase all her memories. Would somebody care? N-Yes. There were people who cared for her, her family. But did she really have a family? Besides, her family had to care for her, it was a compromise. No, she wanted someone to care for her without having that duty. 

While watching the cold rain, she saddened. She had always hated silence, it was a constant reminder of her failures. It was like drowning in her own grief, in her own sorrow. It was living all the pain again and again, without a break.

"Yi Jie, there you are!" cried a familiar voice.

The Chinese girl raised her head and saw Kouichi standing in front of her. He was soaked but still, he smiled weakly at her and offered a hand. Nevertheless, Yi Jie only stared at him and remained sat.

"You'll catch a cold if you stay here" said Kouichi.

"Why are you here?" asked Yi Jie.

"Because I'm worried for you" replied Kouichi.

"I don't want to go back, I'm tired of being their target" said Yi Jie softly, hugging herself "I want to stay here"

"Then, I'll stay with you" said Kouichi and he took out his jacket "Here"

"But you'll freeze" said Yi Jie.

"Hey, don't underestimate me" said Kouichi, faking to be hurt "Besides, you're shivering"

"I'm being a burden for you" said Yi Jie and Kouichi sat beside her.

"You'll never be a burden to me" he said and sighed "Look, I can understand you feel bad because they've played many pranks on you"

"But what she said was the truth: I have the fault of my parents' divorce" said Yi Jie.

"What are you saying? I don't think you were responsible of that, it was their decision" said Kouichi.

"It's a long story" said Yi Jie "My grandmother has also the fault but my mother……she's the responsible of all"

**_~~~FLASHBACK~~~_**

"My little princess, why are you crying?" asked a chestnut-haired man as he lifted a small girl.

"Grandma scolded me again and spanked me" replied the amber-eyed girl.

"She did that? Why?" asked Xiang Seung while anger began growing in him.

"I spill orange juice on her dress" replied Yi Jie between sobs "I-Iy was an accident, really"

"Don't cry" said Mr. Seung but he put Yi Jie on the floor again as a black-haired woman approached.

"Yi Jie, why are you still crying?" she asked.

"What? You let your mother hit her _again_? How could you?" said Xiang in a louder voice.

"She ruined her grandmother's sill dress, it was the right thing and _my mother_…….." said Xia He.

"_Your mother_! It's always your mother! I'm tired of standing her every day!" exclaimed Xiang.

"I don't allow you to speak like that about her, Xiang!" yelled Xia He.

"You always do what she says, you always let her do what she wants! I'm married with you, not with her!" yelled back Xiang.

"My mother is a great woman! Why can't you understand that?" yelled Xia He.

"What I can't understand is how she married your father! She's a witch while your father's a saint!" said Xiang.

"How dare you? Respect my mother!" yelled Xia He.

"Then, I demand respect for our children!" yelled Xiang.

"Why are you like that?" yelled Xia He.

"I'm tired of all this! I'm tired of sharing my life with you!" yelled Xiang.

**_~~~END OF FLASHBACK~~~_**

"Those were his last words before he left our home……." said Yi Jie while crying "That was the worst day of my life"

"But you didn't have the fault" replied Kouichi.

"Of course I did! I knew how angry he got when I cried because of my grandmother! I should've avoided him or lied!" snapped Yi Jie and cried more.

"Don't cry" said Kouichi and he patted her "They would've divorced sooner or later"

"B-But…..I-I….it was my fault! If I had behaved, grandmother wouldn't have got angry at me and dad would be with me now and…….." said Yi Jie and she shook her head "I've tried to be perfect so no one would ever have complains of me and that way, my parents would make up………but I'm so clumsy and nervous"

"Yi Jie, you can't make them settle their differences" said Kouichi and they heard a familiar sound "Lunch is over"

"You can leave, I won't get angry at you" said Yi Jie and she sighed "I wished I were stronger"

"You are strong, you've endured many pranks and you stand your grandmother" said Kouichi "Come on, stop crying"

"B-But I'd like to be as strong as you" said Yi Jie and she wiped away a tear "Your parents are also divorced and you get along well with Kouji"

"Well, I'm used not to have a father" said Kouichi and he sighed "Of course I wished he had been with me all these years and spent time with me but……things happen by a reason"

"My life with my grandmother is hell……it's a torture" said Yi Jie "You don't know how much I'd like to be free from her"

"You want to change?" asked Kouichi.

"Yeah…..I don't want to be as meek as my mother" replied Yi Jie.

"But I don't want you to stop being sweet and caring" said Kouichi and Yi Jie raised an eyebrow.

"I won't" she said "What I mean, is that I want to be stronger"

"In that case, I can help you not to be shy" said Kouichi with a smile "And you have to care less for school, not all day studying or learning this and that"

"Will you teach me everything?" asked Yi Jie.

"Yeah….." replied Kouichi and he received a kiss on the cheek.

"Hmm……you're really an angel" said Yi Jie while blushing.

"Hmm……I guess I could play the role of your guardian angel for a while" replied Kouichi.

"Can we go back? You're shivering" said Yi Jie "I doubt that Mr. Yuyama will let us enter the classroom but we can't stay here"

"I agree with you. Besides, I don't like Geography since I met that teacher" said Kouichi.

The blue-haired offered a hand to Yi Jie after he got up. Once both were standing, they began their way back to the school by crossing the playground. Once they entered the building, they began going upstairs until they were in the third floor and they knocked their classroom's door. Instead of being welcomed by a furious teacher, Rei and her group opened the door and let them in. The girls had a face that showed nothing but remorse and regret.

"We're sorry, Yi Jie" they chorused once Yi Jie and Kouichi were inside.

"Your cousin and Minamoto clarified everything and we discovered that Megumi lied" said Youko.

"Please, forgive us" chorused the girls.

"No" replied Yi Jie resentfully.

"I'd try to convince her but…..you were really mean" said Kouichi disapprovingly.

"They were cruel and I never harmed them!" snapped Yi Jie angrily "I don't even know why they began bugging me!"

"W-We thought that you were two-timing Kouichi" explained Ai nervously.

"Two-timing? But she's not my girlfriend, we're only friends" said Kouichi.

"Megumi told us that Yi Jie had a boyfriend but that she also wanted to get you" said Rei "She also told us that Yi Jie was kissing a boy at a café"

"Xu? But he's her brother! And she was also with Sayuri! And they'd never kiss!" said Kouichi.

"Yes, that was what Miyahara told us" said Youko.

"We'll tell Ms. Aikawa about the prank of the key and we'll wash your clothes" said Youko "We can do your homework if you want"

"Why don't you bug Sugiyama now? I doubt that you dare to, though" said Yi Jie and she walked past them, to join her cousin, who was arguing with Megumi.

"…….and you're a coward!" finalized Sayuri.

"But you can't deny that I'm a great liar" replied Megumi and she smirked "The bad thing is that my plan didn't work as I wanted, you never blamed yourself for your cousin's unpopularity"

"Cynic! You caused much trouble to my cousin! Apologize!" demanded Sayuri.

"I'd die first" replied Megumi while playing with her nails.

"That's fine with me" said Sayuri when Yi Jie tapped her on the shoulder.

"Calm down. I'm fine and I don't want you to get in trouble because of me" said the Chinese girl.

"But she…." replied Sayuri and she sighed in disagreement "Fine"

"Thank you, I couldn't calm her" said Kouji.

"I know, it's difficult to do that" replied Yi Jie and Kouichi arrived where they were in that moment.

"I thought you were going to beat Megumi" he said.

"I wanted but Yi Jie asked me not to" replied Sayuri.

"Ha! You wouldn't beat me again, freak" said Megumi, standing up defiantly.

"Wanna bet?" snapped Sayuri.

"Yi Jie, could you……" said Kouji while pointing to Sayuri and then, he lowered his hand.

"Cousin, please don't fight here" said Yi Jie.

"Besides, we'll show her a lesson" intervened Rei in that moment.

"Really? What will you do?" mocked Megumi.

"You'll see. Junko will also pay" said Ai.

"Yeah. She helped you" said Youko.

"Are you forgetting that I'm one of the most popular girls in this school?" asked Megumi.

"No, but our group is also big and more than one loathes you" said Rei and she intelligently added "Your friends are few and we outnumber them easily. Besides, there are many people that hate you in this school"

"Poor fools" said Megumi and she yawned "I know how to take care of myself"

"Say what you want but we won't forgive you for using us" said Ai while glaring her "You used us like if we were your puppets, Megumi Sugiyama. We won't soon forget that"

"I'm trembling" said Megumi sarcastically "I would never be scared of losers like you"

"We'll see that" said Rei.

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

"I must admit it, Kimura. You can be a kind person" said Sayuri while walking home.

"I'm kind" said Kouichi, feeling offended "It's just that you always misjudge me"

"Because you're a pain in the neck most of the time" said Sayuri.

"Yi Jie, you're cousin is being bad with me" said Kouichi childishly but Yi Jie only giggled.

"She won't defend you" stated Sayuri and she glanced Kouji "Hey, is something wrong? You have barely talked since last week"

"I'm fine" replied Kouji.

"Are you sure? You've also been distracted" said Sayuri.

"Don't worry for him, he's meditating in something that interests him. He even asked mom, I heard him talking with her about that topic" said Kouichi.

"What topic?" asked Sayuri, getting interested.

"I can't tell" said Kouichi.

"Why not?" asked Yi Jie.

"Because Kouji wouldn't like that" said Kouichi.

"Come on, you try to bug him most of the time" replied Sayuri "Besides, I'm worried for your brother"

"I'm fine" said Kouji but he walked faster.

"I think he wants to be alone" whispered Kouichi "Don't ask anything, please"

"But….okay" whispered back Sayuri.

The shrine was now visible and after both Sayuri and Yi Jie said goodbye, the twins went to their respective houses. Kouji crossed the street and Kouichi began his way home. Once the girls were inside the shrine, they greeted Jiang Li and went to their respective rooms. 

Sayuri loosened her hair and opened her music box, letting its sweet melody fill her room. She smirked, her grandmother couldn't recognize the melody at Hong Kong even after she spent much time listening to it. On the other hand, Sayuri was somewhat disappointed because she was curious and wanted to know the name of the melody. It was really beautiful and every time she listened to it at her grandmother's place, she remembered Kouji and she got happier. It was like if the melody was giving her hope…..a relieving hope that she'd see the lonewolf again. 

_'I wonder what's up with him , he's barely talked with me since we……kissed'_ she thought and blushed crimson red.

Yeah……a kiss was a kiss, it didn't matter if it had been an accident. If Kouichi hadn't pushed Kouji, they wouldn't have kissed and that was partly hurting her. Her first kiss and it had been with Kouji……but was it really a kiss? And how did Kouji feel about it? Maybe he didn't like it and that was why he had been so quiet lately. Yeah….that should be the reason.

Nevertheless, Sayuri placed her index finger on her lips. She never imagined that Kouji's lips could be so soft and gentle. Maybe, for once, she should feel thankfulness towards Kouichi but…..no. The boy really liked teasing her since they met. But maybe, he was only being sincere by telling everybody that she fancied Kouji. 

"Sayuri, aren't you going to eat?" called Jiang Li from outside the room.

"I'm coming!" replied the girl and she shook her head.

_'Thank you. My head was beginning to ache because of all that things'_ she thought and opened the door.

She left her room after closing her music box. Maybe food would erase all her thoughts for a while and she'd be able to think rationally again…….Or maybe not.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

¡Hola! That's how you say "HI" in Spanish. Anyways, that was fifteen chapter. Maybe, I'm accelerating things or maybe not. (Gee……I'm becoming weirder) I know that maybe the first kiss should have been sweeter but I need to work in their feelings and make them doubt and all that stuff =P MWAHAHAHAHA!!!

**_Once again, if you're another author of FFNET….. Do you know how to delete a story? I'd like to delete one of my stories in Fiction press but I don't know how to do it. Or at least a chapter…..please! I'M BEGGING YOU! ***PUPPY EYES*** Besides, one of my friends wants to delete one of her stories too but when she asked me, I didn't know what to reply._**

**_Since I got two different replies, how is it? "WE HAVE ALL BEEN" or "WE ALL HAVE BEEN?" Please answer._**

**_P.S. I'd like to work soon in my next fanfic (In fact, I had written 8 chapters and each one of more than 4,000 words but….) But there's a problem, I don't live in United States so I don't know how to write when the digidestined transform into Digimon. And I need to know what they said after defeating their enemies.  You know, when they got the data and purified it. Please. Did they say Spirit Evolution Execute and Digicode scan? And is it evolve, digievolve, digivolve or how? Please answer. See you! _**

Misaki: Hi once again! (I wonder if I'll ever get tired of writing HI) Thanks for R&R and for telling me about the grammar and the locker rooms. Yeah……I also wanted to write about slaps, I also like them. MWAHAHAHAHA ***evil grin*** There will be slaps soon and if I get inspired, I'll be torturing someone. MWAHAHAHAHA. Right now I have a headache, maybe I can get inspired in causing pain to my characters. (Have I told you that I like to torture my characters, especially the good guys?)  I hope we can get more and more sugar……or at least candies. I wouldn't complain if grandma gave me a chocolate, though. Anyways, see you soon! =)

Blue Savage: Hi to you too! Thanks once again for R&R and don't worry. What I mean is that I never thought that someone would write me something like that to me (the part of the fan thing), maybe I didn't explain myself well. Gee…..thanks for the compliments, really. Well, I update in Fridays or Saturdays because it's easier for me and more if I have exams (School is mean when I can't write….) I like your penname because I like how it sounds. Well, if you know how to erase a fanfic or a chapter, tell me, please. See you soon! =)

Izumi-Star: Hi once more! Thanks for R&R! Thanks for liking the chapter, that means a lot for me. Yeah….I also like Beyblade and I also like Rei! I like his black hair and I think he's handsome! =P (I didn't think that you'd also like him) And his eyes….they're ***sighs*** awesome! I like the color! And I like his clothes! I'd like to thank the designer, he did a great job! Well, I should say goodbye! See you! 

Tenshi Catori: Hehe. Hi! Thanks for R&R too! Thanks for replying, I wanted to know. (And I've increased my vocabulary too) I haven't thought what I'll write for the next chapter yet. Torture or cuteness? Maybe both! Yeah!….that'd be fun. Forgive me for my weirdness, you know how I can get. (And more now that I'm in exams and that……it's a long story) Well, I wish you good luck! See you! =P

Kana: Haha. Hi! Thanks for R&R! I can make him beat Bai if you want. I could consider your request and it'd be fun! =P Xu…..I also wonder when he'll come back, maybe in chapter 17. Don't worry, I also think Yi Jie is soft and thanks for the compliments. See you!

LonelyWindFairy: Hi! Don't worry, I understand that. Thanks for R&R and about the Kouichi fans, yeah….they're annoying. Have you seen Slam Dunk? If you have, remember Rukawa's fans. That's where I got the idea =) Well, I've gotta go. Especially because I have a headache. See you soon!

OmnicromXR: First, English is not my first language so I don't know if I misunderstood your review. Now, I have to write things like jealousy and I'm sorry If I ended making Kouji and Kouichi out of character. I couldn't help myself and let me tell you that I really tried. However, I have a weak point and that one is that every time I try to write a good story without cuteness and all that things…….I can't! Why? Because I really like the twins! They're cute! Look, I know that no one has the duty to continue reading my story because they aren't forced. I just know that I like writing and if no one had reviewed my story since the first chapter, I still wouldn't have given up because I like my story. There are times when I don't like what I write and to tell the truth, I'm kinda perfectionist but I end modifying everything and sometimes, the chapter ends worse. And it doesn't matter if you praise my story or not, I don't care. Because I accept constructive criticism like when a person says: your grammar and punctuation is terrible. 

But like I said before, I could be misunderstanding your review. Anyways, it's your opinion. I have to work in my story because I pretend to improve. If you have a doubt, feel free to send me an e-mail (mistress_of_darkness1987@hotmail.com)

~~~Li Kasumi


	16. Meditating

KONNICHI WA! I was trying to vary my introduction, you know. (I don't know if I wrote the greeting correctly but that's how I found it in a Japanese dictionary) Since I began this chapter yesterday and continued it today, I couldn't bring Amy T. I've been busy with exams (and I failed or at least that's what I think)

Same disclaimer: I don't own Digimon nor its characters. I own Sayuri, Jiang Li, Yi Jie and some other characters, though.

Please read, enjoy and review.

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                                                             **_THE LONEWOLF MEETS HIS MATCH_**

By Li Kasumi

Exams were finally over after two whole weeks of torture and nervousness for students. It was going to be their last year at junior school and not a few wanted to fail. Teachers were busy, grades needed to be ready soon and they had work to do. 

"Why do you worry? You're smart and I bet that you'll get the best grades" commented Sayuri.

"But Japanese isn't my first language" replied Yi Jie.

"Yi Jie, what have I told you about school?" asked Kouichi.

"What do you mean by that?" asked Sayuri.

"He told me not to worry about school" explained Yi Jie and she grinned "He asked me to relax too"

"I agree with him" said Sayuri and she frowned "I wonder if I'll fail Geography, after all, I was falling asleep in the last class"

"It's Mr. Yuyama's fault, not yours" said Kouichi and he grinned sheepishly "I was falling asleep too"

"Why do you whine? I met him first and I've had to stand him for more time" said Kouji.

"Poor you" mocked Kouichi.

"Hey! Don't make fun of me!" complained Kouji.

"Will you two stay for dinner?" asked Yi Jie.

"Sure" replied Kouichi cheerfully, putting an arm around her "I think I could teach you to skate today, Yi Jie"

"Kouichi, don't even think in flirting with my cousin" warned Sayuri "Xu would kill you and believe me, he does know how to hit someone"

"I wasn't flirting! And Yi Jie doesn't mind" said Kouichi defensively "Why don't you try to be more like her? You could get more friends, you know"

"I don't need friends" stated Sayuri coolly and with a frown, she began walking faster.

"Hey! Wait! I didn't mean to offend you! Come here, Sayuri!" called Kouichi.

"Let her be, Kouichi" said Kouji and he sighed "She's fine"

"But I swear that I didn't mean to hurt her or something" said Kouichi sincerely.

"He's right, Kouichi" said Yi Jie, glancing her cousin's back "Sayuri's not sad, I think she's a bit angry by your comment, you compared her with me"

"So what do you suggest?" asked Kouichi.

"Well, let her walk alone for a moment" said Yi Jie and she shrugged "We'll arrive home in a few minutes and in that time, she'll forget what you said"

"If you say so" said Kouichi.

"Sayuri, you've been quiet since you came from school" commented Jiang Li "Is something wrong?"

"I'm fine" replied the black-haired girl emotionlessly.

Having said that, she got up from the coach and made her way to her room. Her mother only rolled her eyes and turned to see her niece with a questioning glance.

"She's upset because Kouichi compared her with me" said Yi Jie "He said that she should be more like me to get friends"

"I see. Your cousin hates to be compared with you" said Jiang Li "Your grandmother does that a lot"

"I know" said Yi Jie. _'But still, I'm the one who envies her. She's loved back by Kouji while I can't have the one I like……"_

"I think we should leave her alone" said Jiang Li, sighing, she continued talking "It's strange that the twins didn't stay, especially Kouji. Today it's Friday"

"Kouichi said that Kouji's been meditating about something, he's been very quiet at school" said Yi Jie.

"Meditating? About what?" asked Jiang Li.

"I don't know" replied Yi Jie "Kouichi didn't want to tell us"

"I see" said Jiang Li and she smirked.

"Why are you smiling like that, auntie? Do you know something?" asked Yi Jie.

"Hmm……not exactly" said Jiang Li and she giggled "Why don't we bake cookies? I'm sure Kouichi and Kouji will appreciate them"

"Sure" replied Yi Jie.

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

"It was a good idea to leave them alone" praised Yi Jie while walking through the street.

"Yeah……since we began accompanying them everywhere, they rarely spend time together without us" said Kouichi "Besides, they'll be more confident at the shrine"

"But you do think that Kouji will…..you know, ask her to be his girlfriend or something like that?" asked Yi Jie.

"Hmm…..I'm not sure. He's not very brave when it comes down to that topic" said Kouichi, he sighed "I can't still believe that he's never had a girlfriend!"

"Well, he's not as sociable as you" said Yi Jie "A-And you're cuter"

"I suppose" said Kouichi.

"So what would you like to do?" asked Sayuri.

"I don't know" replied Kouji, shrugging "Wanna fight with me?"

"Sure" said Sayuri.

"Is it okay if we go to the back of the shrine?" asked Kouji emotionlessly.

"That's fine with me" replied Sayuri.

After arriving to the back of the shrine, both adopted fighting postures. Kicks, punches and many other martial arts movements were thrown and after a while, both adversaries agreed to take a break.

"Lonewolf, are you sure you're okay?" asked Sayuri worriedly "You haven't been yourself since……..Kouichi pushed you and……you know, you kissed me"

"I didn't intend to kiss you" said Kouji.

"I know" replied Sayuri coolly. _'Why would you?'_

"And I'm fine. I've been thinking about something, that's all" said Kouji.

He closed his eyes while leaning against a tree. Sayuri shook her head but an idea came to her mind. She smirked and once she was in front of Kouji, she began tickling him.

"Sayuri! Let-" begged Kouji between giggles "Stop! Please!"

"No, 'til you tell me what you've been 'meditating'. Besides, this is very funny" replied Sayuri while tickling him.

"This is not fair!" Kouji managed to say between his laughter.

The tickles suddenly ceased much to his relief and Sayuri's motionless body fell on him. The lonewolf blinked and he was immediately transported to the sorcerer's world. But everything had changed, it looked like if he were at a mountainous place.

"Look who's here again!" said Sen Otsuki and he whistled "Uso, I think dinner's ready"

The snake appeared in front of Kouji and with a fast movement, it threw him to the ground. Strangely, Sayuri was nowhere to be seen. 

"That certainly hurt" said Otsuki, clapping "Too bad that Miyahara couldn't see this"

"Where's she?" demanded Kouji while getting up.

"She's remembering a few things at my movie theater" said Otsuki and he smirked "You know, Satoru Miyahara died some years ago and she's watching his agony and many other things"

"Why are you doing this?" demanded Kouji.

"Because until the curse is broken, I must stay here" replied Otsuki emotionlessly "Uso, remember not to eat him or kill him. I only want you to torture him…..for a while"

The sorcerer clapped and disappeared in the blink of an eye. The snake hissed and launched at Kouji but he dodged and his katana created a barrier. However, the barrier was considerably weakened when Uso began hitting it with its tail. There was only was one thing to do: run.

But where could he run? He had to think fast. The barrier was broken and before Kouji could react, Uso had hit him and he lost his grip on the katana. He rolled and tried to recover it but the snake caught him and threw it against a big rock.

Then, Uso caught Kouji again but this time, it held him with his feet and began smashing him against a bigger rock. Uso hit him repeatedly and hissed, showing its fangs. Unexpectedly, the snake freed Kouji, just to began throwing him stones.

Meanwhile, Sen Otsuki appeared next to Sayuri and clapped. Images in a big screen appeared and showed the lonewolf bleeding, wincing, suffering.

"Kouji! What have you done to him?" demanded Sayuri fiercely.

"Why are you yelling at me? I haven't hurt him……technically" said Otsuki.

"Order your pet to stop, it'll kill him!" cried Sayuri while hitting the screen. 

"Why? You're as bad as me" replied the sorcerer.

"I'd never torture a boy for fun! Let him go!" cried Sayuri.

"You're selfish. You've allowed him to come" said Otsuki.

"What? But Aki has helped him and I-" began Sayuri.

"You've let him. Deep in your heart you want to share your pain with him, that's why the portal to this dimension is opened every time you fall asleep and he's near" explained Otsuki.

"I'm selfish?" repeated Sayuri dully while falling on her knees "No, I…..You're right. I'm selfish"

"It was time for you to realize how you really are" said Sen Otsuki.

Sayuri knelt in front of him and lowered her head. Fresh tears began wetting her face and her locks of hair, she was crying, it was needless to say. 

"Please, heal him and let him go" begged Sayuri "You can torture me to heal his pain, I don't care. Just take care of his wounds"

"I won't let him come again" declared Otsuki and Sayuri nodded in agreement "Why are you doing this? Where's your pride, Miyahara?"

"I lost it" said Sayuri and she wiped a tear "Kouji is very special for me….I care for him"

"He's your crush, admit it" said Otsuki.

"Yes, I have a crush on him" said Sayuri "He's courageous, smart, kind, sweet, calm, cute, handsome, a great fighter, a great friend and he has the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen…….he's just perfect"

"I see" said Otsuki emotionlessly but he clapped.

The sorcerer and Sayuri appeared at the mountainous area. With a whistle, Uso stopped throwing stones at Kouji and finally, it vanished. 

"Kouji!" yelled Sayuri and she ran to his side.

The boy was in bad conditions, there were bruises and cuts all over his face and arms, not to mention that he was unconscious and bleeding. Sayuri caressed his bruised cheek and turned to see the sorcerer. Would he heal Kouji?

"Stop the mushiness" said Sen Otsuki but he nodded "Kiss him and some of his wounds will be healed, but he'll be very tired"

"Kiss him?" repeated Sayuri with incredulity "You mean a kiss on the cheek, right?"

"No" replied Otsuki while shaking his bald head "Kiss him on the lips to take his pain, that's what you wanted"

"Y-Yeah……" muttered Sayuri, not sure if the sorcerer was referring to kiss Kouji or heal him.

But it didn't matter, she leaned and kissed him swiftly but gently. The kiss barely lasted a few seconds. Blood, bruises and cuts began appearing on Sayuri's arms while striking her with pain. But she really didn't mind because Kouji began moving.

Not so far away, Sen Otsuki was watching them and with a genuine happiness that he thought he could never feel again, he grinned sincerely. Those two were in love, they were just to blind to see it, to accept it. _'Besides, she described him with the same words I once articulated to describe Aki'_

Yes, that was the real reason why he let himself soften for a while. If Aki had considered his feelings for her, if she hadn't been so selfish, if she hadn't been so resentful……she'd have a wonderful life with him. But how could he judge her when he was acting the same way? He didn't consider Satoshi's feelings while cursing him, he was selfish by wanting others to suffer with him, he was resentful by not forgetting how Aki left him just to be murdered. _'It is too late now, though'_

Having thought that, he clapped and the teenagers went back to their world. _'After all, I can't meddle in their relationship, that's none of my business'_

"He let us go……" whispered Sayuri and she noticed she was practically hugging Kouji.

"Sayuri! Kouji!" called Jiang Li from the house, not knowing what was going on "You'll catch a cold if you stay there!"

"Kouji, are you awake?" asked Sayuri once she retreated.

"Hmm…..I…am" said Kouji weakly but his eyes were closed.

"Wait here" said Sayuri before getting up "I need mom to help me"

Kouji didn't reply. Sayuri went for Jiang Li and together, they took Kouji to the house. Once there, the boy laid on the sofa. Sayuri explained Jiang Li why Kouji looked so tired and told her what she thought was convenient.

"I can't still believe you hadn't told me!" reproached Jiang Li but she softened "He's been helping you and protecting you since December……"

"Yeah……he's awesome" said Sayuri while taking away the bandana from Kouji's head.

"He's cold" said Jiang Li, frowning "I'll go for blankets or something to cover him"

"I think we should take him to one of the rooms, he'll be more comfortable there" said Sayuri.

"Right. I need your help" said Jiang Li and she gently tapped Kouji on his shoulder "Please, try to stand up and we'll take you to a room, you will be able to rest on a bed"

"How are you feeling?" asked Sayuri.

"I'm tired" admitted Kouji sleepily.

"I know. Try not to move" said Sayuri "Would you like tea or something?"

"I'd like tea, please" replied Kouji.

"Here" said Sayuri while handing him a cup of tea.

"I'm amazed that I'm not dead" commented Kouji sincerely before drinking the tea "I don't know how I survived, I lost the katana"

"Don't say that" said Sayuri, looking away and narrowing her eyes "You scared me! You were bleeding! And I watched you suffering! Do you think I was fine by watching that snake striking you again and again?"

"I didn't mean to worry you" said Kouji "By the way, did he hurt you?"

"Not at all. I'm fine" replied Sayuri.

"You're lying. You have bruises and cuts" pointed out Kouji "What happened?"

"It's hard to explain but I'm fine" said Sayuri and she glanced the door "Mom is cooking something for you and she'll bandage you"

"Aren't you tired?" asked Kouji.

"Let's say I forgot my tiredness" said Sayuri, she took the empty cup "I'll bring more tea"

"Why don't you stay here instead of going for the tea?" asked Kouji "I'm not thirsty"

"Then, I'll be your nurse" said Sayuri.

"I think I can stand that, as long as you take good care of me" said Kouji and he yawned "But when will I leave? My body aches and my mom will notice my bruises"

"We were fighting" said Sayuri "We can tell her that I hit you very hard or something like that"

"Fine" replied Kouji and he closed his eyes.

"Sweet dreams" said Sayuri.

~*~*~*~*~**********~*~*~*~*~

"What were you thinking? I understand some of the bruises but that one…..I can't imagine how hard she hit you" scolded Akiko.

"Well, I thought she wasn't really going to hit me and she thought that I'd dodge her" said Kouji "Don't get mad at her"

"Are you sure it was Sayuri who hit you? I must make a mental note of not annoying her anymore, she's surely strong" said Kouichi.

"I am, you better not forget that" said Sayuri warningly and she turned to Akiko "I'm sorry for hitting him, Mrs. Kimura. I thought he was going to dodge but he let me kick him and I was surprised when he fell backwards"

"I understand, don't worry" said Akiko but there was a frown on her face "At least you only got that bruises on your face"

"Yeah……" said Kouji.

"But seriously, I can't believe you like to fight, Kouji" said Akiko "If she's your friend, I can imagine how many punches and kicks from strangers you've endured since you began practicing martial arts"

"I wonder what our classmates will say, they'll think that you met your match at martial arts" said Kouichi.

"Don't bug, Kouichi. I'm not in a good mood" said Kouji.

"It's not my fault that she kicked you" said the older twin.

"I didn't want to hurt him! It wasn't my fault! It's not my fault!" said Sayuri and she left the room hastily.

"What's wrong with her? She also got upset yesterday" said Kouichi.

"Sayuri has never liked to be compared with Yi Jie and about today, she felt responsible for all the bruises Kouji got" explained Jiang Li "She's a bit sad, that's all"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to hurt her feelings, really" said Kouichi.

"It's okay" said Jiang Li understandingly "Why don't you stay for dinner?"

"Well, we can stay, thanks" replied Akiko.

"You're welcome" said Jiang Li "Kouji, will you also have dinner or do you prefer to stay here?"

"I can accompany you even If I've already had dinner" said Kouji "I'll watch you eat, I suppose"

"That was really delicious, Mrs. Miyahara" complimented Kouichi.

"Thank you. I'd like to get all the credit but Yi Jie helped me" said Jiang Li.

"I see. Yi Jie is very good at cooking and baking" said Kouichi, causing Yi Jie to blush "You'll be a great wife, Yi Jie. I'm sure"

"Thanks" replied the Chinese girl.

"Sayuri, why don't you say something?" said Jiang Li.

"You're a good cook" replied Sayuri "May I clear the dishes?"

"Yes, please" said Jiang Li.

"Would you like me to help you?" asked Akiko.

"No, thank you" replied Sayuri while clearing the dishes from the table.

"I'll help you" offered Yi Jie and she also began clearing the dishes.

"So, exams are over" commented Akiko.

"Yes, they are. And I'm really happy because I'll have more time to play the piano" replied Kouichi.

"I'm glad for you. Sayuri's told me you have many fans at school" said Jiang Li.

"Fans? What does Jiang Li mean by that, young man?" asked Akiko.

"Well, there are some girls that like me a lot and they often give me treats like candies and chocolates" said Kouichi.

"Yeah…..they even call him 'charming prince'. But he only smiles and tries to avoid them" added Kouji.

"I don't have a girlfriend yet, Mom" said Kouichi.

"You better not unless I approve of her" said Akiko "Since that Himiko girl hurt you, I don't want you to get another girlfriend if I don't like her"

"S-Sure" said Kouichi, sweatdropping and standing up "I think I'll help Sayuri and Yi Jie with the dishes"

"Kouji, stay here, please. I think Kouichi's help will be enough" said Jiang Li quickly after she noticed that Kouji was about to get up "Besides, Sayuri _'kicked' _you and I'm sure she doesn't want you to help her right now"

"Fine" said Kouji.

"And how are those girls like? I mean, the ones that are after your brother" said Akiko "I want to know everything"

"They only give him treats, like he told you. They call him 'charming prince' and are nice with him, that's all" said Kouji "I don't think Kouichi is interested in one of them"

"Why don't you want Kouichi to get a girlfriend, Akiko?" asked Jiang Li.

"Because his last girlfriend did hurt him, he didn't show it but that Himiko really hurt his feelings" said Akiko resentfully "She was only using him, that foul girl. I never liked her"

"Thanks for helping us to clear the dishes" said Yi Jie.

"You're welcome" said Kouichi and he frowned "What do you think you're going to do, Yi Jie?"

"I'll wash the dishes. Sayuri's already washed half of them and she also washed all the glasses" replied the Chinese girl while holding a dish.

"Give it to me. I'll wash them" said Kouichi "You have delicate hands, I cannot let you wash the dishes"

"But-" said Yi Jie.

"No buts" said Kouichi but he smiled "They're a few, anyways"

"You're our guest. I can't let you wash the dishes" insisted Yi Jie.

"I know but we're friends" said Kouichi "Besides, I really enjoyed what you cooked. It's my way of saying thanks"

"You're also a pianist" said Yi Jie.

"Why don't we compete?" suggested Kouichi "We'll wash the dishes until we're done. The one who washes more dishes wins"

"That's fine with me" replied Yi Jie.

"Let's begin!" said Kouichi.

They began taking dishes and washing them. One, two, three dishes had been washed by Kouichi. Yi Jie had only washed two. They continued washing until there was no more dishes.

"I win!" exclaimed Kouichi.

"Yeah…but only because you practically snatched the last dish from me" said Yi Jie.

"Don't get angry at me" said Kouichi "Why don't you visit me tomorrow?"

"Sure" said Yi Jie.

"Great! I always come here but you rarely go to my place" said Kouichi "And I'd like to show you a book"

"But I suppose it's in Japanese" said Yi Jie.

"It doesn't matter, I can help you or read it for you" said Kouichi.

"Thank you for everything" said Yi Jie "Since I arrived to Japan, you've been very kind with me and a great friend"

"Don't continue, please" said Kouichi "You're embarrassing me and I'm not a good boy"

"Yes, you are" replied Yi Jie, she grinned "I'm very happy to be your friend, Kouichi"

Meanwhile, a melody was being listened at another room. Sayuri was painting what seemed a landscape. There were a paintbox and paintbrushes and an easel with a white board. For once in her life, she felt _a bit_ grateful towards her grandmother. Whenever she felt tense at Hong Kong, she would paint. It was relaxing and her grandmother wouldn't object, it was something artistic. '_If that sorcerer hadn't tormented me, I would've spent more time painting than learning martial arts'_

Anyways, the sorcerer had a point: she was selfish. _'I've let Kouji help me and I've endangered his life. I can't believe I've been so inconsiderate with him. This can't go on. I don't want to lose his friendship, he means a lot for me but….what if he's seriously wounded again? No, there's no way I'll risk his life. Maybe……I should reconsider a few things for Kouji's sake and that's because…….I'm beginning to see him in another way'_

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Sorry for writing such a short chapter. But I haven't had the time to write. I'll try to begin writing the next chapter today because I don't know if I'll have time next week. I could update on Wednesday, Thursday or Sunday. I must travel again due to family business. Well, thank you and hope you enjoyed the chapter.

OmnicromXR: To tell the truth, I don't know what to tell you. Well, since the twins didn't spend much time together at the digiworld, I have to imagine how they'd act on normal circumstances. They're twins, after all and they should tease each other, talk about this and that, have their own personality…….etc. And thanks for R&R, hope you like the chapter even if I just began writing it yesterday in my free time. =P

Misaki: Hi! I think I'll use your grammar but in my other story. I've already written the prologue! ***sniff*** And I loved my summary (the one that appears in each chapter, not the one that appears to describe the story at a profile or something) Thanks for R&R, hope you enjoyed the chapter. And thanks for the information! Hehe. Yeah! Torture characters! I can be evil! And the idea, I don't know where I got it, I only imagined it. (And if you laughed at that, wait for my next story, they originally kiss in the second chapter, accidentally too, but in a funnier way. And in the AU one, they don't kiss in the first chapter but I wrote about something else…..Hehe. Too bad I only have ideas for the first one, my brain hasn't given me too many ideas for the AU) I'll try to update soon but I…..I think I failed Math and Geography (stupid exams and bad Math teacher, he's evil) Mom better not knows and I'll continue writing. And where are you from? I'm not from the US, that's why I ask about grammar and many things. (I'm curious) =P See you! =D

Izumi-star: Hi! Thanks for R&R! And thanks for the compliments. I'm happy that you agree about Rei's looks. Besides, who wouldn't like him? =P About talk in MSN, yes, I have MSN but I must warn you that since my mom doesn't like me to use Internet a lot, I'm not sure if I'll be able to talk with you. I think you know the e-mail: mistress_of_darkness1987@hotmail.com, I'll look for yours in your profile and add it to my msn list. Actually, I don't have a nice nickname, only mistress of darkness, I think. And that's because I haven't been able to chat for a long time but I can try. About the kiss, you know, it did affect their feelings and their reactions. Hope you enjoyed the chapter! See you & hope I can talk with you soon! =D

Tenshi Catori: Hehe. Hi! Thanks for R&R! Thanks for the information about deleting a story, I'll try to investigate that once I have the time. =) Thank you for the information about Digimon Frontier, I thought you could know since you're from US. I like the 0XD thingies, they're funny! Hope you enjoyed the chapter. See you!

Blue Savage: Hi! Thanks for R&R! And you're welcome. Spanish is my first language and Blue Savage sounds great. The word for Blue is Azul and for Savage is Salvaje. And I also like the word Azul (I like the Z) Well, I've been busy but I can try to read it…..not today but maybe other day. Maybe tomorrow (If I wake up early and act like a ninja to turn on the computer first after passing by my brother's room and…..okay, I got excited) Thanks for loving the story. =P See you! =D

Kara: Hi! Thanks for the information and for R&R! Hehe. Thanks for the compliments and I'll check the delete thing later. And for the grammar thing. Well, Megumi will have what she deserves, maybe in the next chapter. I'm not sure. I'll begin writing it today. And I'd write more to you but I'm updating this. (I checked the reviews page just before updating and I'm modifying this document because I've just seen your review) =P See you soon!=D

~~~Li Kasumi


	17. A few confrontations and the lonewolf's ...

Hi once again! Gee…..Right now I have a headache. I suppose I should get more sleep. Anyways, I should begin with the story

Once again, I couldn't bring Amy T. (she failed a few exams) and I failed Math. (In fact, I got the third highest grade. God, that exam was really hard. But I failed it with a 50%) Anyways, I don't think that my Math teacher liked it. Since I met him, I've beginning to hate the subject. But like I've written before, Life is not easy. (and less if you're in high school and have to solve a Math exam) =P Well, hope you enjoy the chapter, I started it on Sunday because I knew that I wasn't going to have much time on weekdays and I finished it today after many changes. Boy, I should get my ideas in order.

Disclaimer: I don't won Digimon nor its characters (If I could own those cute twins I'd be so happy) =P I own my original characters

By the way, I'll change my style a bit in a few sentences. Just to see if I can do it. If you don't like it, tell me. Or maybe, I'm not good at that.

Please read, enjoy and review.

'Italics'- thoughts

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                                                                 THE LONEWOLF MEETS HIS MATCH

By Li Kasumi

Sunday arrived to Shibuya with a shining sun. It promised to be a warm day, compared to the day before. It wasn't too late but it wasn't too early. On that warm day, a chestnut-haired girl was standing in front of a door, waiting for it to be opened. Finally, a blue-haired woman opened the door and greeted her with a smile.

"Good morning" said Akiko.

"Good morning, Ms. Kimura" replied Yi Jie.

"Come in. Kouichi's waiting for you at his room" said Akiko and she frowned "I thought Sayuri would be coming too"

"She preferred to stay. I think she didn't sleep well" explained Yi Jie after entering the house.

"I see. I thought she'd still be upset by Kouichi's comments" said Akiko.

"Don't worry, she doesn't like to be compared, that's all" said Yi Jie "I think there's something troubling her, she usually doesn't act like that"

"What could that be? Hasn't she told you something?" asked Akiko, looking very interested in the subject.

"No. Even if we're cousins, she rarely trusts in someone" said Yi Jie.

"But it seems that she trusts in Kouji" pointed out Akiko.

"And I still wonder how he won her trust" said Yi Jie "I suppose she has a crush on him or something like that"

"Now that you mention it, I've never asked Kouji how he became Sayuri's friend" commented Akiko "I'll ask him later"

"So he's here again" said Yi Jie.

"Yes" replied Akiko and she laughed "Sorry for entertaining you. Kouichi's waiting for you at his room. It's the one at the bottom of the hall, you'll recognize it"

"Thanks" said Yi Jie "Excuse me"

"I'll see you later" said Akiko.

Having said that, Yi Jie walked through the hall and immediately spotted a signal with Kouichi's name. She knocked and after listening the words "Come in", she opened the door and found a total mess. _'And I thought Xu's room was a disaster when he lived with me'_

"Mom, I promise I'll fix the mess later" said Kouichi absent-mindedly, not having noticed that the one in his room was Yi Jie because his head was inside a closet "Haven't you seen a brown book with golden letters at the front? I can't find it!"

"Hmm…..Kouichi, it's me" called Yi Jie.

Kouichi turned his head to her, "Sorry for the mess. I was looking for the book that I was going to lend you", he raised an eyebrow "Why is your face red?"

"Your shirt is unbuttoned" replied Yi Jie, still blushing.

Kouichi laughed at her shyness "Oh, that. I like this black shirt a lot but I lost two buttons and since it's a bit hot today, I preferred to leave it unbuttoned"

"I see" said Yi Jie while looking at the floor and making circles with her right foot "You look very good"

"Thanks" replied Kouichi "Could you help me to look for the book? It's a thick one"

"Sure" said Yi Jie.

"I've looked for it in all my room, except in the boxes inside the closet" said Kouichi "It's probably in one of them"

"It's brown and thick" said Yi Jie and Kouichi nodded "Where should I begin?"

"Well, I think it should be in one of this boxes" said Kouichi while pointing a few boxes.

He opened them and they were full of old books, broken toys, dusty notebooks and many other things. _'I must remember to get rid of a few things'_

"I'll look in this box" announced Yi Jie while sitting on the floor.

"That's fine with me" said Kouichi and he sat beside her.

They began emptying the boxes but the brown book was nowhere to be found. But there was something that was true, Kouichi continuously stopped to remember his childhood when he saw his toys. Most of them were broken. Yi Jie was still looking for the book but she suddenly stopped. There was a real-life-looking spider in one of the boxes and she released a scream that was heard by Akiko and Kouji.

Without thinking, she grabbed hold of Kouichi and with her eyes closed, buried her face on his chest. Kouichi found that incredibly but strangely charming so he put his left arm around her waist.

With a loud thump, the door suddenly swung open and both Akiko and Kouji appeared. Ms. Kimura began tapping her right foot on the floor "Kouichi, I don't want to be a grandmother yet"

Kouichi's face turned red and realized he was in a compromising situation: Yi Jie was still holding him, his shirt was unbuttoned and his arm was holding Yi Jie's waist.

"It's not what you think" said Kouichi quickly "I only know she screamed"

Akiko was still tapping the floor and she was frowning "Yi Jie, why did you scream?"

"There's a spider in the box" said the Chinese girl while trembling and she took out her head from Kouichi's chest "I'm sorry. I have a phobia for those creepy things"

"Spider? Kouichi, haven't you got rid of that toy?" demanded Akiko.

"Yi Jie, I think you saw one of my toys. It's a fake spider" said Kouichi, trying to calm her down "I forgot to tell you"

"Well, that explains why she screamed" said Akiko "But that doesn't explain why your room is a complete mess"

"Or why your shirt is unbuttoned" added Kouji.

"I lost two buttons! Hey, I wasn't doing what you think!" complained Kouichi.

"I didn't say you were doing something" said Kouji "And less with Yi Jie"

"I think I better leave" said Yi Jie suddenly and she stood up, she had forgot her phobia for spiders "I forgot to do something"

"Wait! What Kouji meant is that you're……" said Kouichi, trying to look for the correct words "Well, you are….."

"Like a nun? I already know that" said Yi Jie "Thanks for reminding me that"

"My brother never said you were a nun" intervened Kouji, his arms were crossed "And what I meant is that he respects you a lot to try something and less if you're his friend"

"Why don't you come with us while Kouichi cleans this mess, dear? You might like tea after seeing that ugly toy" said Akiko, trying to settle the things.

"I guess that'd be nice" said Yi Jie.

"Let's go then" said Akiko "Kouji, could you help your big brother?"

"Sure" replied the younger twin.

"We'll be at the living room" said Akiko before leaving the room with Yi Jie.

Kouji sighed. Kouichi's room was really a mess. Everything was scattered and the bed was unmade. _'He really needs to clean' _ Anyways, he began putting some things in their place and he even made the bed.

"Thanks for your help" commented Kouichi out of the blue why putting a few things back in the boxes.

"You're welcome" replied Kouji.

"Didn't Sayuri come?" asked Kouichi.

"No. Mom told me she preferred to stay at the shrine" said Kouji "I wonder if she's still upset by what you said"

"I didn't mean to upset her like you didn't mean to upset Yi Jie" said Kouichi.

"It's not the same. Yi Jie means nothing for you" replied Kouji and Kouichi stood up.

"Of course she means something for me" he said.

Kouji raised an eyebrow "You aren't infatuated with her"

"No, but……" Kouichi hesitated "What I mean is that she's my friend"

"So you like her……" stated Kouji.

"Of course. Why else would she be my friend?" said Kouichi.

"I mean if you fancy her or something" said Kouji with a smirk.

"W-What? No! Of course not!" exclaimed Kouichi but his cheeks had a slight shadow of pink.

"You're blushing!" teased Kouji "Why don't you look at yourself in the mirror? You look funny"

"I don't have to. Since you have my looks, I only have to imagine you blushing after kissing Sayuri on the cheek like you did last Christmas" shot back Kouichi.

"Humph…..Anyways, I was thinking that it'd be funny if both fancied two girls who are cousins" said Kouji.

"Oh, no! The world is coming to an end! My little brother has admitted he fancies Sayuri!" exclaimed Kouichi.

"He admitted th-"

"Shut up!" interrupted Kouji "Remember that Yi Jie is here"

"Come on. She already knows" said Kouichi calmly.

Kouji's face turned white and he went to grab Kouichi by the collar "What? You told her?"

"Of course not! It's obvious that you like her cousin, she noticed that since she arrived to Japan for the first time" said Kouichi.

Kouji blinked and looked at the now tidier floor after releasing his brother "Is that so obvious? Is that so easy to tell?"

Kouichi laughed "Are you joking?"

"Do you think Sayuri already knows?" asked Kouji softly but worriedly.

Kouichi snorted "Of course not. She's as absent-minded as you to notice that and she's very stubborn"

"I see" said Kouji.

"By the way, when I advised you to let her win at checkers, I didn't mean that you should also let her hit you in a martial arts combat" said Kouichi with a frown "She really knows to kick"

Kouji began whistling and turned away from him "Well……she didn't want to hurt me. She was really worried when I got all those bruises"

"Yeah….I could see that" said Kouichi and he raised an eyebrow "By the way, do you know if she's ill or something?"

"W-What do you mean?" asked Kouji nervously.

"Hmm……she looks healthy but there are times when she faints or something like that" said Kouichi "Since she's your friend, I thought she might know something and probably told you about it"

"No, she hasn't told me anything about that" said Kouji "I don't know anything"

"I see" said Kouichi.

"Why don't we go with Mom and Yi Jie? Aren't you thirsty?" asked Kouji, trying to change the topic "I'll help you later and your room looks better"

"Sure. I'm really thirsty" replied Kouichi.

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, Jiang Li was watching her daughter paint. Sayuri had barely articulated a word that day, the usual greetings but nothing more than that. Maybe, Kouichi's comments did affect her after all. The Chinese woman was worried, she knew her daughter liked painting but she usually did that when she was sad. _'There might be something else troubling her'_

"Sayuri, is something wrong?" asked Jiang Li softly.

"No" replied her daughter but she was still facing the picture and adding paint.

"Are you sure? I think you're sad" said Jiang Li.

"No, I'm not sad" said Sayuri _'After all, I cannot let sadness control me'_

"I was thinking that since Yi Jie went to visit Kouichi, we could also visit him, Akiko…..and _Kouji_" said Jiang Li, expecting her daughter to turn to her and smile.

However, Sayuri did not turn to her nor smile. She remained in her position but she stopped painting. She only sighed and shook her head,

"C-Could you leave? You're confusing me" asked Sayuri.

"Your picture, you aren't concentrated because I'm distracting you" said Jiang Li.

Sayuri shook her head "No. You're confusing me about something else"

"You mean Kouji?" asked Jiang Li and Sayuri nodded "He likes you, I'm sure"

"I doubt he's told you something. Anyways, he shouldn't have feelings for me" said Sayuri softly.

"What? Why not?" asked Jiang Li while approaching.

"Because……someday, I'll die and if he has strong feelings for me like the ones you have for my Dad, he'd suffer" said Sayuri.

Those words struck the Chinese woman. A tear rolled down her cheek and she pulled her daughter into a hug, her only daughter couldn't leave her, she couldn't.

"You won't die. Did you hear me? You won't!" she cried.

"M-Mom………I-" said Sayuri.

"Don't say that again!" snapped Jiang Li, hugging her daughter tighter.

"But Kouji, he-" said Sayuri.

"He'll help you" interrupted Jiang Li.

"No! He got very hurt last time!" replied Sayuri and freed herself from her mother "I can't continue being selfish!"

"But why is he the only one who can help you? I want to know. Why him?" asked Jiang Li.

"I don't know. Aki did something to his katana but before that, he had already helped me" replied Sayuri "I'd also like to know that"

"I went to that realm once but that was a long time ago" said Jiang Li.

"Yes, I remember that" said Sayuri.

"Anyways, you shouldn't be so sad about your curse" said Jiang Li softly "Enjoy your life"

"But-" said Sayuri.

"What if Kouji ever asks you to be his girlfriend? What would you tell him?" asked Jiang Li.

Sayuri blushed and sighed "I don't know"

"What do you need to know? You have a crush on him, I know!" said Jiang Li.

"How do you know that?" asked Sayuri, still blushing.

Jiang Li sighed "I'm your mother, I know you very well"

"Hmm……but he might see me as a good friend" replied Sayuri.

Jiang Li slapped her forehead "Don't be blind. He likes you back. He cares for you more than a best friend does, think about it"

"Before him, I hadn't had friends, I don't know how much someone should care for his best friend" said Sayuri "I'm not like you"

"You are smart, you'll realize that he likes you" said Jiang Li _'Or even love you'_

"Well, I'd like to…..continue painting" said Sayuri, trying to break the conversation "Could you leave?"

Jiang Li sighed "Fine. But try to think in what I've told you"

The Chinese woman left the room and shook her head in disappointment. _'Why is she so stubborn? Akiko is sure that Kouji might ask her out soon and this girl could reject him. God, what am I going to do to my daughter?' _ Then, she listened a familiar melody, she smiled. It was the music box's melody. _'Well, that's something'_

Sayuri was still holding the music box and she sighed. Out of the blue, everything went white and she saw herself crying at the back of the shrine, sitting against the sacred tree and holding the music box. Then, she opened her eyes and found herself staring at the music box.

_'What was that?'_

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

"As you know, Valentine's Day is approaching and like every year, there will be a ball" announced Professor Kumazawa "It'll be held next week"

"It'll be on Saturday, won't it?" asked Megumi Sugiyama.

"Yes, it'll be on Saturday" replied the professor "There will be prizes, contests and many other things"

"That's great!" cheered a few girls.

"I'm telling you this until now because I wanted no interruptions in my class" said the professor.

The bell rang. Being Thursday, it meant that it was time for lunch. Groups of friends immediately gathered to discuss about the ball. Unexpectedly, Taeko Nakajima went to Yi Jie's seat and faced her.

"Would you like to be my partner for the ball?" he asked with a clear voice.

Everybody turned to watch them. Yi Jie was mute. It was true that she wanted to go to the ball but she wanted someone else as partner. Anyways, it might be a joke.

"Why me?" she asked.

"Why? Because you're smart, cute, talented and kind" replied Taeko "You've forgiven those brats after all they did to you. I would've had revenge if I were you. But you're so kind that you forgave them after a few days and even help them with their homework"

"Well, thanks for your compliments" said Yi Jie and she sighed.

"So will you go with me to the ball?" asked Taeko.

Before Yi Jie could speak, Kouichi was tapping Nakajima on the shoulder with a not very friendly expression on his face. Taeko did nothing but glare him and turned back to Yi Jie.

"Nakajima, what did I tell you last time?" snapped Kouichi.

Taeko turned to see him like if he were an unworthy insect "I don't have a good memory"

"I told you to stay away from her" said Kouichi with a cold voice that he rarely use.

"In fact, you told me not to hurt her or get close to her again" said Nakajima.

"Then, do as I told you" said Kouichi.

"Who do you think you are?" spat Taeko "If you were her brother, I'd understand. You're _only_ her **_friend_**, not her boyfriend"

"She won't go with you to that ball" said Kouichi firmly.

"Really? Why not?" snapped Taeko.

Kouichi glared him _'Why not? Why not?…..hmm….now that he mentions it, that's a good question'_

"I'll tell you why not" intervened Sayuri while facing Taeko "Xu, Yi Jie's brother, wouldn't allow it"

"And where's her brother?" asked Taeko.

"At Hong Kong but he'll come soon" replied Sayuri "He won't like a bully dating his only sister"

"Sayuri, that'd be **_my_** decision. I'll decide if I go with him not you" said Yi Jie suddenly.

"What?" exclaimed Sayuri with incredulity.

"You can't go with him!" said Kouichi.

"Why not?" asked Yi Jie.

"Ah…..because……because….." said Kouichi.

"Because he was going to ask you out first" said Kouji with a smirk.

"Yeah! Because I was going to……" said Kouichi but he stopped in mid-sentence _'Wait! What did he say?'_

"Really? You were going to ask me to be your partner, Kouichi?" asked Yi Jie, sounding happier.

"Well, I……" began Kouichi "Yes, I was going to ask you out"

The trio of Rei, Ai and Youko began cheering for Kouichi. 

"You have to choose him, Yi Jie!" said Rei.

"But I……" said Yi Jie "Hmm……I'll go with Kouichi"

"Then, all of you can go to your seats" said Taeko, not wanting to accept his rejection.

"I'm sorry" apologized Yi Jie.

"Yeah…me too" said Taeko.

Once he said that, he went with his gang but not without glaring Kouichi first. The glare was returned.

"Kouichi, do you really want to go with me to the ball or was it Kouji's idea?" asked Yi Jie.

"I do want to go out with you" said Kouichi "Wanna go with me to play the piano?"

"Sure" replied Yi Jie.

"But before that, let me talk with my little brother" said Kouichi and he whispered "It's about Sayuri"

"Of course" replied Yi Jie.

"Little brother! Come here!" called Kouichi in a melodic voice.

"What is it?" asked Kouji.

"Sayuri, please go with Yi Jie, I must talk alone with my brother" said Kouichi because Sayuri approached with Kouji "I hope you understand"

"Humph! Fine" said Sayuri before walking away.

"Kouji, my little brother, I must ask you something" said Kouichi.

"Yeah?" replied Kouji and Kouichi stepped on his foot "Hey!"

"May I know why did you say that I was planning to ask Yi Jie to be my partner?" asked Kouichi in a whisper.

"You're another coward, that's the answer" replied Kouji sulkily because Kouichi was still stepping on his foot "And you deserved that. Now, put your foot in another place"

"I'm not a coward, 'lonewolf'" said Kouichi and he got a glare "Why are you looking at me like that? Sayuri calls you 'lonewolf' and you don't glare her"

"Sayuri is the only one who can call me like that, it was her idea not yours" said Kouji.

"Anyways, will you ask her out?" asked Kouichi teasingly.

"I think Yi Jie is waiting" said Kouji and he pushed his twin "Go with her, Romeo"

"I'll ask you that later" said Kouichi.

Kouji rolled his eyes once his twin left. _'Wait 'til I get you. Who says revenge isn't sweet?'_

"What did he want?" asked Sayuri once she was beside him.

"He wanted to talk about the ball, that's all" replied Kouji "Will you come?"

"I don't know" said Sayuri and she immediately glared the girl in front of her "What do you want?"

"To talk with Kouji Minamoto, of course" replied Megumi.

"I'm listening" said Kouji coldly.

"Be my partner at the ball" said Megumi.

"No" said Kouji.

"You're single and handsome. I'm single, pretty and popular" stated Megumi "What else do you want?"

"Get lost" said Kouji.

"What?" snapped Megumi.

"What part of **_no_** can't you understand, Sugiyama?" snapped Sayuri.

"First of all, I can't let such a handsome boy like him befriend a freak like you" said Megumi "What can you offer him? He's not for you"

"I'll decide that, not you" said Kouji while glaring the brunette "Now, get lost"

"I don't understand. Are you nuts? Why do you prefer her?" snapped Megumi.

"Why do you keep insisting? What do you see in me?" asked Kouji impatiently.

"I see a very handsome, talented, smart, strong……" said Megumi while touching Kouji's biceps "……and sexy"

"That's an infatuation. Go away and get a boyfriend" said Kouji impatiently "Don't you have dignity or pride?"

"I doubt it" said Sayuri.

"And I doubt he feels something for you. Why are you with him, Miyahara? Are you waiting for him to ask you out? I think he won't. You've know him for a long time and you aren't his girlfriend yet" shot back Megumi.

The brunette smirked at the silence, she struck Sayuri and was enjoying it. _'Ha! What will you do, freak? Cry like a baby?'_

"We're friends and that's because she likes me by who I really am, not for my looks or the popularity she could get if she befriends me" said Kouji "And she doesn't think that I'm a trophy"

"Come on, darling. Of course you're not a trophy" said Megumi.

"Don't call me darling again and stay away from us, especially from Sayuri" said Kouji "I'm not interested in you"

Once he said that, Megumi glared him and began walking away. First, she had to get rid of Sayuri Miyahara and then, she could get Minamoto. _'That freak….she'll see. I wonder if she brainwashed him' _. She sat on her seat but she soon realized she sat on fresh bubble gum and got up, immediately spotting Rei and her friends laughing at her. _'Those brats! They did it! Well, at least they didn't make me look like a clown today and the week is almost over. I can't still understand how that Chinese girl could stand them and forgive them after all they did to her…….Wait! That's the answer! I know how to separate Miyahara and Minamoto! But that'll have to wait'_

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

"Thanks for asking me to be your partner, Kouichi" said Yi Jie.

"You're welcome" said Kouichi "By the way, did you like the book I lent you?"

"I haven't finished it but it's very interesting" said Yi Jie.

"He's got rid of the spider" said Kouji.

"What spider?" asked Sayuri.

"A fake spider. They were looking for a book on some old boxes and Yi Jie got scared when she saw it" said Kouji "She screamed and buried her head on Kouichi's chest. That was very funny because Mom said that she didn't want to be a gra-"

He stopped talking because Kouichi was stepping on his foot again. He was glancing his little brother with a face that wanted to say: _You continue talking and you die_

"What did she say?" asked Sayuri.

"Nothing" said Kouichi.

"It's not fair. You are always bugging me and you don't let me bug you" said Kouji childishly.

"I also want to know, Kouichi. I didn't put attention to your Mom because I was too scared" insisted Yi Jie "What did she say?"

"She said that she didn't want to be a grandmother yet" said Kouji.

Both Yi Jie and Kouichi turned red. Sayuri began laughing very hard and she began teasing Kouichi. "I didn't know you had a thing for my cousin. That explains why you asked her to be your partner"

"Shut up!" said Kouichi. Sayuri laughed even more "But what were you two doing?"

It was Kouji's time to laugh "He had his shirt unbuttoned and was holding Yi Jie by the waist while she was hugging him"

"Stop making fun of me!" demanded Kouichi.

"Why?" asked Kouji with a smirk "You're always bugging me"

"That's different. I'm older than you" said Kouichi.

"You look very funny when you blush" mocked Sayuri and she began pinching Kouichi in his stomach "You like my cousin! Come on, tell us! Your face is a red as a tomato!"

"Stop it!" demanded Kouichi and he managed to glare his brother and Sayuri. Sayuri stopped pinching him.

"Then, I'll tease you later" said Kouji.

"I didn't know you were resentful, little brother" said Kouichi.

"Well, now you know that" said Kouji.

"I-I'm hungry. Let's go" said Yi Jie.

"Don't worry, we won't tell Xu" said Sayuri.

"But we'll continue teasing Kouichi" said Kouji, Kouichi stepped again on his foot "Hey! Stop doing that!"

"Continue walking" said Kouichi. Kouji and Sayuri giggled but they walked with Kouichi and Yi Jie. However, Sayuri wasn't going to miss her chance to tease Kouichi. "So you've been kind and nice with my cousin because you like her"

"Poor shy boy" mocked Kouji.

"Isn't he the one who's had many girlfriends?" added Sayuri.

"If you don't stop teasing me, I'll tell your mom about your grades in History and English" said Kouichi. Sayuri scowled "She'll now about them anyways"

"Humph! Stop teasing me!" whined Kouichi.

"We're here. Thanks for walking us home" said Yi Jie while pointing to the arch, she was relieved "I guess we'll see you tomorrow"

"Sure" said Kouichi "See you!"

"See you" added Kouji.

"Come on, Sayuri" said Yi Jie. Much to her dismay, her cousin shook her head and smirked "I'll tease Kouichi a bit more"

Yi Jie sighed but entered the shrine and went into the house. Kouichi, seeing what both his brother and Sayuri were about to do, smiled and began walking away, leaving them.

"He's a coward" said Sayuri.

"We can have fun" said Kouji and he smirked with Sayuri "I want payback for all he's done"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I still wonder…..what should I write for the next chapter? Valentine's Day? I'll see that as soon as I can. I must travel once again (not to Sugar Land as I'd like to….) I must visit my uncle and his family. At least I can stand my cousin, he's a baby and he's cute! 

By the way, my story will end in the next chapter because I'm tired. It's a joke!!! =P (At least to whoever read this) Anyways, Sayuri's vision has to do with the last chapter but she won't be crying on St. Valentine's.  

OmnicromXR: I must admit it: Your comments about Cherubimon and the others made me laugh. Anyways, thanks for R&R again. Well, they're twins, Light & Darkness, if I must say. (At the beginning of the show, Kouji could seem the Warrior of Darkness instead of the Warrior of Light. At least if you didn't understand him but he _is_ nice, smart and brave) About Kouichi, let's say he seems kinder and more good-humored than Kouji, that's why I think he's cuter. (For me, Kouji's more handsome) =D And about Izumi, I prefer not to touch that topic. I'm not and will never be a Kouzumi fan.

Tenshi Catori: Well, the 0XD are funny. Hehe. =P Oh, yeah. I was also getting tired because I needed someone to admit something. (It's strange, the story depends on me and I wanted to slap myself because I hadn't written about Sayuri admitting she likes Kouji. I slap myself sometimes, though. You know how weird I am) Well, about Kouichi's being cuter than Kouji….it was Yi Jie's opinion in that case, but for some strange reason, I think Kouichi's cuter and Kouji's more handsome. Of course both are cute and handsome, it's needless to say that. Thanks for telling me about your updates, if I'm right, I'll have had reviewed your story before you read this chapter. =) Thanks for R&R! See you!

Misaki: Well, that's something good of you, I mean, not to give personal information. Let's say, I wanted to know because what if you were from Japan or talked it or something like that, I'd like to know about Japanese schools, that's all. I like that culture. About Otsuki, I guess most of the people have a soft spot. (My principal might not have it, though) And Kouji going to that realm……I know he will (at least in the last chapter) but I'm not sure if he'll go there soon and before the last chapter. It's hard to answer that, even for me. =D But I have a lot of excuses to let him go there again. Now, about the katana, it's in his room. He only lost it in that dimension and….of course they're fun! Sensei J has many! And a wakizashi (I don't remember how to spell it) and Chinese swords. And many other things. He's a great man, I admire him. And I understand you about the sugar.

But……***sniff*** do you really come from Earth? ***sniff*** I thought you were also from Sugar Land. I'm from there and from the moon. That's what Amy T. and some of my other friends say because I daydream or act weird most of the time. Sensei J also says I'm from the moon but he says I'm special. Okay, that was just to let you know =P Thanks for R&R! See you!

Izumi-Star: Hi! Thanks for R&R! Yup. You can e-mail me. I think that'd be easier. =P About the chapter, it'll be fun to bring those two together. But I like confusion and shyness in my stories. In fact, I wrote something else for this chapter that showed how much Sayuri cared Kouji but……I decided to reserve it for another chapter so I wrote something for Kouichi-kun. Hehe. Thanks for adding me to your lists, that's great! Well, hope you enjoyed it. See you soon! =D

LonelyWindFairy: Hehe. Thanks for R&R! Don't worry. I know about being busy and laziness. Thanks for the compliments and as you can see, I updated sooner. I usually update on Fridays or Saturdays. And yes, it was funny the first kiss, I enjoyed writing about that but I wasn't sure if it was the right thing. Well, hope you enjoyed the chapter. =P See you! =D

Kana: Hi to you too! Thanks for R&R! I understand but I'm glad you're still reviewing. Well, I updated! =D And if you're lucky, you'll be reading the answer the same day you reviewed because I've just read your review. About Xu, I'll see that later or on Sunday. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. See you! =P

~~~Li Kasumi


	18. Unexpected first kiss

Good….morning, afternoon or evening. (I don't know when you might be reading this) I decided to try to write something else besides Hi. But like I've written a few times before, I don't know if someone might even read this. If I were a reader, I'd probably read this but I'm the author.

Anyways, here is the eighteenth chapter of my story. Hope you like it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon nor its characters. I only own my original characters. 

Please read, enjoy and review. 

See you!

_'Italics'-_ thoughts

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                                                                  **_THE LONEWOLF MEETS HIS MATCH_**

By Li Kasumi

Revenge. Who says it's not funny? It may vary but when you get revenge for being the target of many jokes, you really enjoy it. Ah, revenge can be really, really sweet.

"So, how do I look with this one?" asked Yi Jie.

"Very good" said Jiang Li while watching her niece.

"Yeah….you look very good" said Sayuri.

On that Saturday, they were choosing a dress at a boutique. Yi Jie was wearing a pale pink ball gown and she did look very good. She had asked Jiang Li to accompany her to choose her gown for the ball and there they were.

"What about you, Sayuri? Won't you look for a dress?" asked Jiang Li.

Sayuri looked away "I don't have a partner so I won't go. Besides, I don't care for a silly ball"

Jiang Li giggled "But I still think you should choose a gown"

"Why?" asked Sayuri.

"Because you might go with a boy who has a ponytail" said Jiang Li.

"I don't think so" replied Sayuri. _'He's not very social, I really doubt he'd want to go'_

"Come on, look for a dress" said Jiang Li.

"She's right. You could have fun next Saturday and I'm sure you'd like to look good for Kouji" said Yi Jie.

Sayuri frowned but then smirked "You've been spending so much time with Kouichi that you're becoming as annoying as him"

Yi Jie blushed "He's not annoying, he's only trying to help you two"

"Sayuri, look for a dress. Trust me, you'll end up going to the ball" said Jiang Li.

Sayuri groaned but she began looking for a ball gown. _'Aquamarine? No, it's a very light color. Dark Blue? I really like the color but….not this time. Red? I don't like the color. Black? My skin is pale, I'd look like a ghost but it looks so sophisticated and it'd look good with my medallion'_

"I like this one" she announced while showing the dress.

~*~*~*~*~*~~~~~~~~~~*~*~*~*~*~

"Why not?" asked Kouichi for the tenth time.

"Because I don't like parties" said Kouji.

"Come on, I promise that I won't be bugging you at the ball" said Kouichi.

"You don't need to promise me that, I know that you wouldn't" replied Kouji and he smirked "You'd be too busy with Yi Jie"

"I don't like her in that way and you know that" said Kouichi.

"Then, you wouldn't have intervened when Nakajima asked her to go with him" said Kouji "Face it, you were jealous"

"He's not a good boy, I only wanted to protect her" said Kouichi.

"So you don't fancy her?" asked Kouji, his twin shook his head "Too bad. She does"

"W-What?" exclaimed Kouichi, turning ten shades of red.

"Mrs. Miyahara told me that but now that I know that you don't like her back……I'll have to go to the shrine and tell Yi Jie that you will always see her as a good friend and then, she'll be heartbroken and she'll cry and then….."

"You're lying" said Kouichi.

"Only the second part" said Kouji, enjoying the conversation a lot "I don't like to see her crying"

"So you mean that she….hmm….fancies me?" asked Kouichi softly, his cheeks were slightly red "But she can't because we're friends and……she can't"

"Why not? Haven't you noticed something about her behavior? Maybe you've noticed that she acts different with you" said Kouji.

Kouichi meditated it and absent-mindedly, he began talking "Well, she began talking with me when we went to the amusement park and looked very happy with me. And then, there was the time when we danced and she told me that she'd like to spend another Christmas with me. I can't also forget when she waited for me after school and that she didn't want Xu to hit me"

"Not to mention that you can calm her easily" commented Kouji.

"Oh, yeah. She's confessed me many things and she even kissed me on the cheek after calling me an angel" continued Kouichi with a meditative voice.

"See? I wasn't lying!" said Kouji with a smirk "But now that I know that you don't like her, I'll ask Sayuri to tell her that she should look for another boy to forget you"

"No way! You aren't going to do that! Sayuri can't tell her that!" said Kouichi.

"Why not? If you're not interested in her, I don't see why she can't look for another boy" said Kouji emotionlessly but trying to sound the most serious possible.

Kouichi got up and walked towards the door "I'm going to clean my room"

After he left, Kouji raised an eyebrow and couldn't help but giggle. _'I can't believe he fell. I made my part. Sayuri, hurry up and bring Yi Jie'_

~*~*~*~*~*~*~********************~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"I see that you're cheerful today, Sayuri" commented Jiang Li.

Sayuri nodded "Yeah…..Yi Jie is also cheerful because she'll see Kouichi, her first boyfriend"

Jiang Li raised an eyebrow but grinned "Really? Are you going out with him, Yi Jie? Is that why you're going with him to the ball?"

The Chinese girl blushed but shook her head "I-I…...well, he's……I mean…..." 

Sayuri giggled "You should have seen him when Nakajima asked Yi Jie out, he was jealous"

Yi Jie lowered her head "Do you think so? Did he seem jealous?"

"Of course" replied Sayuri.

"I didn't know that. You two make such a cute couple, Yi Jie" complimented Jiang Li.

"Come on, he's always there for you, Yi Jie" said Sayuri "He cares for you a lot"

Finally, they arrived to Akiko's house and after a while, the blue-haired woman opened the door, looking delighted with the visitants. After the usual greetings and taking seat, Jiang Li and Akiko began talking about this and that.

"Kouichi! Kouji! Come here!" called Akiko.

The twins left their respective rooms and only one of them was surprised by the unexpected visit. The older one glanced his younger brother questioningly _'What are you planning?'_

"Yi Jie, Kouji told me that you'll go to the ball with Kouichi" commented Akiko.

Kouichi glared Kouji. Yi Jie nodded "I will"

Akiko smiled "It makes me so happy that you're the one who'll go with him and not a stranger. You know, I like to keep an eye on my older son"

"Thanks" replied Yi Jie.

Akiko watched Kouji but then, her eyes went to Sayuri "What about you, Sayuri? Are you going to go to the ball?"

Before Sayuri could speak, Kouichi intervened "That's what it seems. Look at the bag she's carrying"

Sayuri quickly hid the bag behind herself. Kouji raised an eyebrow "I didn't know you were planning to go to that ball"

Jiang Li giggled "Yi Jie wanted to buy a gown and I convinced my daughter to look for one too"

Kouichi smirked and he glanced his brother "Sayuri, would you like to go to the ball? Then, I could phone one of my friends and ask him to go with you"

Sayuri shook her head "No, thanks"

"Mom, Kouichi has something to say" said Kouji.

"What is it? You didn't fail Math, did you, Kouichi?" asked Akiko.

"It's not about school" said Kouji "There's a girl that likes him but he doesn't like her back. I've told him that I could tell that girl to look for another boy"

"Don't mind him, he's nuts" said Kouichi.

"Who's that girl? Another fan of yours?" asked Akiko. Kouichi shook his head "He was joking"

"By the way, Yi Jie is very happy because she'll go out with you" said Sayuri. Jiang Li nodded "I didn't know you were his boyfriend, Kouichi"

"What?" exclaimed Kouichi while blushing.

"No, he's not my-" said Yi Jie.

"They make such a cute couple" interrupted Sayuri.

"To think that I always thought that Sayuri would get a boyfriend before than her, you know. I guess I was wrong" said Jiang Li and she winked at her daughter. Sayuri looked away to hide her blush.

"What do you mean by _'boyfriend'_?" asked Akiko.

"Nothing! Auntie misunderstood everything! She thinks that I'm going to the ball with Kouichi because he's my boyfriend" said Yi Jie.

Akiko calmed down "I see. Don't take it wrong, dear. It's just that I'm not letting Kouichi date a girl for a while". Kouji intervened "But he had a date with her last month"

"Yeah….they spent the day together" added Sayuri.

"Sayuri, don't try to embarrass your cousin" said Jiang Li and she turned to Kouji "Aren't you going to go to the ball?"

"The boy shook his head "I'm not the social type so I won't go". Jiang Li's face fell "Too bad. My daughter wants to but she doesn't have a partner"

"That's not true. I don't want to go because I'm a klutz, I don't want to step on somebody's feet" replied Sayuri.

"Let's talk about something else" suggested Kouji "Why don't we go to a cinema?"

"Kouichi's jaw dropped but he soon recovered from the shock "You're not Kouji, tell me who you are and what you've done to my brother. He'd never suggest that"

"I'm bored, that's all" said Kouji.

"If you say so? Why don't we watch a new horror movie?" said Kouichi "I don't remember the name but it's a new movie"

"I think I've heard about it" said Sayuri.

"Mom, Mrs. Kimura, don't you want to come with us?" asked Yi Jie. The two women shook their heads after sharing a smirk. It was Akiko who replied "No, thank you"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*************~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The foursome were at the cinema, watching a horror movie about ghosts. The place was quiet, no one dared to speak, the movie was really frightening. Everybody was watching the heroes running away uselessly. A pale hand was suddenly placed on a certain Chinese girl, scaring her from head to toes and making her scream and hug the person beside her, who was no one but Kouichi. 

"Hey, girl! Why did you do that?" whined a man from another row. A woman got up "Don't interrupt the movie!"

"S-Sorry" stuttered Yi Jie. Sayuri frowned _'I think my idea wasn't as good as I thought'_

Kouichi frowned and got up "Hey! Don't yell at her!"

Luckily, the woman that got up calmed down so everyone continued watching the movie. Kouji smiled faintly to suppress his giggles, his big brother's right arm was around Yi Jie. _'One thing more to tease him'_

~*~*~*~*~*~************~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Thank you for defending me from those people, Kouichi" said Yi Jie, she blushed at the thought "I'm sorry for hugging you but I got very scared"

"It wasn't your fault" said Kouichi understandingly and he glanced Sayuri suspiciously "I'm completely sure"

"I'm hungry" said Sayuri "Don't you want to eat something?"

"Didn't you eat popcorn?" asked Kouichi, Sayuri shook her head "Well, I guess we could eat something"

"Great" said Sayuri "Yi Jie's right, you can be an _angel_"

"W-What did you say? An angel?" exclaimed Kouichi.

"Yes, her guardian angel" said Sayuri emotionlessly, making Yi Jie blush crimson red "That's how she calls you"

"What a _coincidence_! Kouichi told me that before you arrived" commented Kouji, he smirked "Oh, yeah. He also said that she's a great dancer"

Kouichi glared his little brother and stepped on his foot "Shut up"

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

The next day, Kouji convinced Kouichi to visit the shrine after waking him. The big brother agreed after Kouji practically blackmailed him with telling Yi Jie that he didn't like her back. So after a while, they were at the Miyahara Shrine. 

"Sayuri's still sleeping, she went to bed late and my aunt had to travel yesterday" said Yi Jie.

"I see" replied Kouji "By the way, Kouichi wanted to see you and listen your voice, that's why we're here"

Kouichi stepped on his foot "Why don't you go to see your sleeping beauty and kiss her to wake her? I'm sure that'll work"

Yi Jie giggled, Kouji was blushing madly but he soon recovered from the remark "I think you want to be left alone with Yi Jie. But remember: I don't want to be an uncle yet. I won't help you to feed your babies"

It was Yi Jie and Kouichi's turn to blush. The big brother stepped harder on Kouji's foot "Go with your sleeping beauty"

"Once you get you foot off mine" replied Kouji. Kouichi did as he was told and once his little brother was leaving, he added "Since you're going to be at her room, don't try anything too drastic. I don't want to be an uncle yet, I wouldn't like to see you changing diapers"

Kouji blushed but he opened the door and shut it. Kouichi and Yi Jie laughed but their laughter soon died at the realization that they were alone.

"I-I think I should make breakfast" said Yi Jie. 

"I'll help you" said Kouichi.

"Thank you, Kouichi" replied Yi Jie

~*~*~*~*~**************~*~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, Kouji was trying not to giggle. Sayuri was asleep like Yi Jie said, but she was also hugging the fluffy doll that he gave her on Christmas. _'You look incredibly childish but still…..you look very cute. I wonder if I can find a camera to remember this…….and blackmail you'_

He soon spotted an easel covered by a white blanket. He walked towards it and was about to uncover it when a familiar voice spoke.

"Leave that" demanded Sayuri. Kouji turned to see with a surprised expression "Why? I'd like to see what you're painting"

"I'll show it to you when I finish it" said Sayuri.

"You aren't a morning person, are you?" said Kouji, he got a glare "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing. I don't like someone to see my pictures until they're finished" replied Sayuri, she sighed "I'm sorry. I'm restless and like you said before, I'm not a morning person"

"You're restless? Why? Did you have a…..nightmare?" asked Kouji while approaching to her.

"No. It's just that I've been working until late on my picture" said Sayuri, she yawned.

"I see. Why don't you sleep a bit more? I can…..hmm….take a walk around the shrine" offered Kouji.

"Would you do that for me?" asked Sayuri, Kouji nodded "Thank you"

"By the way, I can see that you really liked the fluffy doll" said Kouji with a smirk. Sayuri blushed in embarrassment "Well, it's soft and I like to hug it since I don't have someone to hug"

"Why don't you hug a pillow?" suggested Kouji.

"I hadn't thought of it before" said Sayuri.

"Or maybe, you'd like to hug me" said Kouji, he soon regretted the words he articulated.

"What?" exclaimed Sayuri, blushing crimson red. Kouji giggled nervously "It's not what you think. But since I shared my bed with you on my birthday…..well, you know….I'm sleepy because it's still early and I expected you to be awake to plan ideas"

"You want me to share my bed with you?" snapped Sayuri, getting redder.

"It wouldn't be a bad idea" said Kouji partly distractedly. The next thing, he knew, a white pillow was covering his face.

"Pervert! You've spent a lot of time with your brother!" snapped Sayuri after throwing the pillow "Get out!"

"Wait! I didn't mean that!" said Kouji after dodging another pillow "Let me explain you!"

"There's nothing to explain! Out!" demanded Sayuri while pointing the door with her index finger.

"Don't get mad at me. I only want to sleep too! I didn't mean that I want to sleep in the same bed with you again!" said Kouji.

"Then, you can go to the guest's room" said Sayuri.

"Your bed looks softer" stated Kouji. Sayuri sighed but got up "Fine. You can sleep here, I'll sleep at my mom's room"

"Thanks" said Kouji "You're a great friend……could you cover me with the blankets and give me a goodnight kiss?"

Sayuri didn't know if laugh or throw him a pillow again "Are you ill or something? You're acting like a spoiled kid who doesn't want to grow up"

"I'm sleepy" said Kouji and he lied down on the bed. Sayuri giggled but she ended up covering him and kissing him on the forehead "Don't you want the fluffy doll too?"

"No, thanks" replied Kouji, Sayuri was about to leave when he called her "Would you like to go to the ball with me?"

Sayuri stopped in her tracks and turned around "What did you say?"

Kouji sat on the bed "Would you like to go to the ball with me?"

A smile appeared on Sayuri's face "Sure". Kouji grinned "Thank you"

~*~*~*~*~*~**************~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Yi Jie, are you sure? You could fall and hurt yourself" said Kouichi. The Chinese girl nodded, she took a chair without back, leaned it against the counter and climbed it "I have a phobia for spiders but I'm not afraid of heights. Besides, I've done this before"

"But you could slip, it seems that someone spilled water" said Kouichi.

 "I'll be fine" said Yi Jie, she began opening the cabinets to look for salt and oil. After a while, she found them and turned around, forgetting to be careful with the spilled water and ending up slipping due to her carelessness. However, she soon found herself on top of Kouichi. Apparently, the boy cushioned her fall but he fell backwards.

"Kouichi, I'm sorry. Are you okay?" asked Yi Jie worriedly. The boy winced "Hmm……yeah"

"Don't lie to me, you winced" said Yi Jie, still on top of him "Did you get hurt?"

"Not exactly. The fall was quite unexpected, I guess I wasn't strong enough to hold you" said Kouichi.

"I see" said Yi Jie, staring straight in his eyes "You're awesome"

Kouichi blushed "I-I'm y-you're a-angel, aren't I?". Yi Jie nodded faintly and got closer to his face "You're stuttering"

"It's your fault. You're making me nervous" said Kouichi. Yi Jie giggled but she didn't retreat "Why?"

"B-Because I……well, I'm not sure" replied Kouichi. He moved to her right, now being on top of her and caressing her cheek.

Yi Jie blushed. "Kouichi, I-". Her voice was silenced when the boy leaned down and press his lips against hers. At first, it was a shy, soft kiss but it slowly grew more and more passionate until Kouichi broke it. He glanced Yi Jie with shock after realizing what he'd just done and got off her, standing slowly. He stepped back and suddenly heard giggles from behind. Sayuri was standing at the entrance of the kitchen.

"I didn't know you were so passionate" commented Sayuri while holding a video camera. Kouichi widened his eyes and stepped back again "I……."

"You've just kissed my cousin" stated Sayuri and she smirked "Wait 'til I show Kouji this"

"You……I-I…." began Kouichi "Y-You….." Yi Jie also got up, trying to catch her breath "You kissed me"

Kouichi looked away, he stepped back again "I-I'm sorry……I don't what happened to me……please forgive me". He ran past Sayuri, not daring to look back.

Once he was outside the house, he hit his head with the wall many times. _'Why did I do that?'_ Hormones. Yeah……he only felt attracted, didn't he? That had to be the reason, that had to be the real reason. _'But did I have to kiss her after all Kouji's told me?'_

Meanwhile, Sayuri was hugging Yi Jie in vain attempts to comfort her. The video camera was on the counter, where Sayuri left it. Yi Jie was crying on her cousin's shoulder.

"Why did he kiss me if he doesn't feel nothing for me? Why?" she cried "But it was my fault, I acted like a whore! If I had got off him as soon as I could, he wouldn't have kissed me!"

"Don't cry" said Sayuri softly while stroking her cousin's hair "It wasn't your fault, I'm sure"

"I don't want to see him ever again! I don't want to!" cried Yi Jie.

"You have to. You must ask him why he kissed you" said Sayuri "And I'm sure you didn't act like a whore, you were only flirting"

"I don't know how to flirt. Maybe I disappointed him because I don't know how to kiss" said Yi Jie and she broke the embrace. Kouji entered the kitchen and got surprised when he noticed that Yi Jie's eyes were red. _'Oh, no. He didn't tell her what I think, did he?'_

"Kouji, it's good to see you" said Sayuri. Yi Jie left the kitchen quickly in shame, she felt really humiliated.

"What happened?" asked Kouji.

"Kouichi kissed her and fled. He didn't give her a good explanation of why he kissed her" replied Sayuri "Maybe he got scared because I recorded it in the video camera"

"What video camera?" asked Kouji.

"That one" said Sayuri while pointing to the object "I found it at my mom's room and came to the kitchen because I was thirsty. I was going to show it to you because I thought that we could think in something but I found your brother kissing Yi Jie"

"I see" said Kouji "Maybe he really likes her and is confused"

"Maybe, we shouldn't have thought in getting revenge. We should've thought in Yi Jie's feelings" said Sayuri.

"But he seemed really interested in her" replied Kouji, he sighed "I'll talk with him"

"Fine. I'll accompany you to the arch" said Sayuri.

"Won't you change your clothes?" asked Kouji.

"I'll do that later. You must talk with Kouichi" said Sayuri. Having said that, both teenagers left the kitchen together and when Sayuri opened the door, she found her mother. 

"Good morning, Mrs. Miyahara" greeted Kouji.

"Good morning" greeted back Jiang Li "What are you doing here? It's quite early"

"We came to visit Sayuri and Yi Jie" replied Kouji.

"We? Kouichi's also here?" asked Jiang Li. Kouji sighed and shook his head "I think he's just left because he kissed Yi Jie"

"He did what?" exclaimed Jiang Li. Sayuri nodded "He kissed her and fled. Yi Jie's probably at her room"

"I'm going to talk with him. I'll see you later" said Kouji. Jiang Li nodded and Kouji left.

"I hope he talks soon with Kouichi, Yi Jie is very sad" commented Sayuri.

However, Kouichi didn't let Kouji talk with him. He needed to think in good answers to his questions, ones that wouldn't confuse him. He often hit his head with the wall, like if that would make his brain work.  But one thing was sure, he needed to apologize.

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

The next day, Sayuri and Kouji hoped that Kouichi would apologize but Yi Jie didn't allow him to speak with her. She was disappointed, angry and sad. After all, her first kiss wasn't as she expected it.

Nevertheless, she wasn't able to avoid Kouichi as she wanted. At lunch, she was descending the stairs when Kouichi unexpectedly caught her wrist. 

"Leave me alone!" demanded Yi Jie.

"You must let me explain you and I want to apologize" said Kouichi and he slowly released her wrist.

"I'm listening" said Yi Jie.

"Well, I…….kissed you……I mean….I think it was a brief moment of attraction. I'm sorry for kissing you" said Kouichi "I felt like kissing you and I'm really sorry"

"So you didn't want to kiss me but you kissed me" said Yi Jie as matter of fact.

"Something like that" admitted Kouichi. 

Yi Jie felt like if something had shattered her heart in one thousand pieces. _'So I wasn't wrong, he feels nothing for me. I was a mere diversion_' Sadness began taking over her but it was soon replaced by another feeling that in someway made her feel better. Anger.

Yi Jie slapped him hard "It was my first kiss! Do you know how I'm feeling? If you had kissed because you feel something for me, things would be different. But you had to kiss me because you only felt like kissing me! I always wanted my first kiss to be special and you ruined it!"

Kouichi rubbed his cheek "You were flirting with me". Yi Jie slapped him again "Cynic! I don't want to see you again! I hate you!"

"You what? You can't hate me!" snapped Kouichi. Yi Jie glared him "Oh, really? Why not?"

"B-Because you have a crush on me" said Kouichi. Yi Jie narrowed her eyes "It was a stupid infatuation, nothing more. You're good-looking, I can't deny that, but you mean nothing to me"

"Yi Jie, I understand that you are upset but……we are friends" replied Kouichi.

"You should have thought in that before you kissed me" said Yi Jie.

"What do you want me to do?" snapped Kouichi. 

"Stay away from me, at least until I return to Hong Kong" said Yi Jie.

"Hong Kong?" repeated Kouichi "But you hate your grandmother"

"I phoned my father yesterday and agreed to live with him and Xu" explained Yi Jie "I'll leave this weekend"

"But you….you can't go. You should finish junior school here" replied Kouichi.

"I can leave and I will" said Yi Jie "Besides, you always told me to care less for school"

Kouichi slapped his forehead "But I didn't mean something like this!"

"I'm leaving and nothing will stop me from doing so" said Yi Jie "Now, excuse me"

"B-But, Yi Jie!" replied Kouichi. The Chinese girl ignored him and continued descending the stairs quickly, she only wanted to get the furthest she could from Kouichi. Nevertheless, she was walking downstairs so fast that she slipped and fell.

"Yi Jie!" called Kouichi worriedly and descended the stairs as fast as he could. People began gathering after they noticed that a girl was lying on the floor.

"What happened?" asked a blonde.

"Hey, girl, are you okay?" asked a red-haired boy.

"Yi Jie!" called Kouichi while struggling between the crowd "Someone call the nurse!"

"I'll go!" offered a tanned girl and ran.

"Yi Jie, say something!" begged Kouichi uselessly after he kneeled beside her.

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

A man, two women and a teenager rushed to Jiang Li Miyahara's side. The man was Xiang Seung, one of the women was Xia He Tang, the other one was Wen Tang and the teenager was Xu Seung.

"Where's my daughter?" demanded Xia He. She was Yi Jie's mother and resembled Jiang Li a lot. It was undeniable by the looks that they were sisters: both had pale skin, black hair and amber eyes. However, both were different in their way of acting and seeing life.

"She's stable, Xia He" said Jiang Li softly.

"She's unconscious but she's fine" added Sayuri "We called you because it was the right thing"

"A-Are you sure that she's fine?" asked Xu.

"She's fine, that's what the doctor told us" said Jiang Li. In that moment, the twins appeared with Rei and a cup of coffee.

"What are you two doing here?" asked Xu.

"We're here because we're worried for Yi Jie" replied Kouji. 

"Hi" greeted Rei.

"She's Rei Tatsumi, Yi Jie's friend" said Kouji and he began a glaring contest with Xu.

"Stop it, you two!" scolded Sayuri.

"She's right" said Rei. Both Xu and Kouji had no choice but to interrupt their glaring contest.

"So you all are Yi Jie's friends. Nice to meet you, I'm her father, Xiang Seung" said a chestnut-haired man out of the blue and he extended his right hand. The Chinese man was quite tanned and very tall, with hazel eyes and short hair.

"Uh…..I'm Rei Tatsumi. Nice to meet you too" said Rei and she shook hands with him.

"My name is Kouji Minamoto and he's Kouichi Kimura, my brother" said Kouji and he also shook hands with Xiang Seung. Then, Kouichi shook hands with him.

"So you're Kouichi, Yi Jie's talked a lot about you with me" said Xiang Seung. Kouichi frowned but nodded "She's also told me about you, sir. She loves you a lot, that's why she wants to live with you and her brother"

"She what?" exclaimed Wen Tang and she glared Kouichi "Tell me everything"

"That's all I know. She told me that before she fell" said Kouichi.

"So she fell because of you, didn't she?" snapped Xu and he seized Kouichi by his shoulders "You're going to pay for it!"

"Xu, leave Kouichi alone! He's been very worried for your sister" demanded Jiang Li. Her nephew sighed but released Kouichi "He better stays away from her"

"Stop threatening people, son" said Xiang and he turned to his once mother-in-law "Yi Jie phoned me yesterday, she wants to live with me and her brother"

"It's my father's fault! I knew that I shouldn't have allowed her to come to Japan!" said Xia He and she turned to her sister "What did you do to my daughter? She's always been polite and obedient. I don't know why I let her spend time with Sayuri"

"What are you insinuating?" demanded Jiang Li.

"I think I should leave" said Rei "Goodbye"

"Goodbye" replied Mr. Seung, the twins and Sayuri. Then, she left quickly, not wanting to meddle in family business.

"Jiang Li, Xia He, this is not the place for arguments" scolded Wen Tang.

"I'm sorry, mother" replied Xia He. Xiang frowned but kept himself from speaking.

"Mrs. Miyahara, your coffee" said Kouji and he handed her a cup.

"Thank you" replied Jiang Li "I think you two should leave, I'll tell Yi Jie that you were here"

"You're right, madam" said Kouji and he grabbed Kouichi's arm "We'll see you tomorrow"

Jiang Li nodded and glanced her daughter "Go with them, I must speak with your aunt"

"Sure" replied Sayuri and she turned to Mr. Seung, Wen Tang and Xu "Goodbye"

"Goodbye" added the twins before leaving.

Once gone, Jiang Li glared her sister "We'll have a long talk, Xia He"

~*~*~*~*~*~************~*~*~*~*~********~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Sayuri, could you make me a favor?" asked Kouichi, the girl nodded "Please, tell her that I'm sorry for kissing her"

"But you've already apologized, haven't you?" said Sayuri. Kouichi sighed "Yeah but…..she's still mad at me"

"You hurt her feelings" said Sayuri "But don't worry, she appreciates you and I'm sure that she won't soon forget all you've done for her. After all, she's your friend"

"She was very angry" replied Kouichi.

"It was her first kiss and she likes to read mushy novels, I think she's disappointed" said Sayuri "Try to understand her"

"Maybe you're right" said Kouichi.

"So are you okay?" asked Kouji, his brother shook his head "Why?"

"Because I ruined her first kiss" replied Kouichi "And it was partly your fault!"

"My fault? Why?" Asked Kouji.

"Why? Because of all the things you've been telling me! You confused me!" snapped Kouichi.

"You wouldn't have kissed her if you didn't have feelings for her" stated Kouji.

"But I don't like her in that way" said Kouichi.

"Think about that for yourself" said Kouji, getting up and leaving his twin's room "But hurry because she'll leave soon"

"But….." began Kouichi, he sighed sadly "I don't like her in that way, do I?"

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Phew! That was the 18th chapter. If you let me tell you, I barely wrote about Kouji because once I finish pairing Kouichi, it'll be somewhat easier for me to get Kouji & Sayuri together. By the way, Happy Valentine's Day. I didn't update this sooner because I couldn't. But I'm happy because I got something. It's been the sweetest thing someone has given me……the sophomore gave me a card and it was really sweet, he even wrote it with the best hand-writing he could. It was about friendship but it was so nice of him……….and I must tell you that even if I can write kawaii things sometimes, what I write doesn't seem kawaii for me. But what he wrote was really, really kawaii and…..unexpected. ***sniff** It's the first time a boy gives me something so sweet and cute…..***sniff***okay, that's all or I'll begin crying or acting weird.

By the way, **_I did try to write spaces between the story and I had to upload it like ten times. That's why I had to use the ~*~*~ things a lot. I don't know if the spaces will show but let me tell you something, I didn't have good luck._**

Evil Tenshi: Hi. Thanks for R&R. You've changed you nickname again, it reminds me of the first one. 

OmnicromXR: Hi. Thanks for R&R. Well, I would not support Kouzumi for many things but I won't go into detail. Let's say that's part of my next fanfic, (that's why I won't give my reasons). Well, thanks for saying that I'm hilarious because I wasn't very sure if certain parts would make someone laugh. Hope you continue reading, see you! =P

Misaki: Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Okay, I shouldn't get so excited or I won't be able to control myself. Misaki is also from Sugar Land! I knew it! ***jumps up and down*** But I think that there was a misunderstanding, the story won't end yet. Oh, yeah, the vision. Let's say I haven't thought of making Kouji die but now that you mention it, why not?…..it's a joke =P. I couldn't murder my favorite character, I'd die. (Kouji is so cute, just perfect) Besides, there are many reasons why a person cries (in this case, she was crying because she was sad) I've planned my ending for months (but I still haven't written it, the ideas are in my head) But don't glare me ***sniff*** =P I could make an alternate ending but I won't even if I like reading tragedy (Well, only sometimes). There will be a happy ending, but after a few things like drama and cuteness. (I'll try to make myself cry, remember that you gave me some ideas) Anyways, thanks for R&R. I also want to thank you for the compliments and for your opinion of the new style. Hope to listen from you soon. Hehe. If you want to guess, you know you can e-mail me. See you! Misaki is from Sugar Land!!! ***repeats that for 10 times more while jumping up and down*** =D

Blue Savage: Hi. Thanks for R&R. I think you also misunderstood. I wrote that it was a joke. I wanted to know if someone read what I write below the story. Of course there will be fluffy moments but with a mix of drama. (And if I'm inspired, humor too) =P Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. See you! =D

Kana: Hi. Thanks for R&R. Hehe. Hey, I think that the part of "Kouji wants payback, Xu might come back" rhymed. =P Well, I'm glad you found it hilarious, I try my best. Thanks for continue reading, I appreciate it. And about Xu, I must plan it. See you! =D

Ultracheese(Justin Barrett): Hi. Thanks for R&R. Well, thanks for liking the chapter, I hope you like this one too. See you! =P

~~~Li Kasumi


	19. Goodbye?

Hi. Welcome to my nineteenth chapter. ***yawn*** I haven't got time to sleep. ***yawn*** I should go to bed….***yawn*** But if I don't start writing, I'll delay in updating.

How are you? I hope you're okay because right now I'd really like to sleep…***Zzz***** I'm nuts……….and my madness will grow if I don't some sleep soon…….***Zzz***

I like February…….Valentine's Day……..so nice…….got a card…….

I must remember to kill my Math teacher……we have lots of homework thanks to him………poison….a dagger could also work……***Zzz***

And I must remember to finish my other homework or I won't be able to visit that old friend of mine…….and I want to get a piece of cake……and to kill her for not phoning me sooner.

Anyways, the usual disclaimer: I don't own Digimon nor its characters, only my original characters. I better stop all the nonsense. Oh, yeah. I also don't own the lyrics for "Say again", it belongs to Kouji Wada. I didn't translate, I copied the translation. Anyways, I won't be using all the song and I changed a few things.

Please read, enjoy and review.

_'Italics'_- thoughts

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**_                                                          THE LONEWOLF MEETS HIS MATCH_**

By Li Kasumi

On a sunny Tuesday, a chestnut-haired man was stroking his daughter's hair, trying to understand her like he once did with his ex-wife. Much to his relief, his daughter was stubborn but still more mature than his ex-wife.

"But what can I do, Dad?" asked Yi Jie.

"Tell him how you feel and if he's like you've told me, he'll understand" replied Xiang Seung.

"But……after all I told him……I don't know if he'll want to talk with me" said Yi Jie.

"He visited you when you were unconscious and he looked worried, I'm sure he'll let you talk with him" said Xiang.

"He visited me…..then, I'll talk with him as soon as I can" said Yi Jie.

"Great" said Xiang "I know that you're very sensitive and smart, that's why you can't let yourself idealize love"

"Right" said Yi Jie. Her father smiled "You could be confused, honey. That's why I've never agreed with your mother, your grandmother and Xu. If you treated more boys, you wouldn't confuse love with a close friendship. Kouichi befriended you and acted in a way that no boy had before, that's probably why you like him a lot but you may not love him as you think"

Yi Jie nodded after listening her father's wisdom "I guess I acted like a mushy and spoiled brat"

Xiang nodded and giggled "And I guess you're right. I think that you created your own world of fantasy and love after reading all those books but you must remember that reality is another thing. You must befriend and meet other boys to learn and to get experience so you won't suffer in the future"

"You should have been a psychologist" said Yi Jie "You know a lot about love"

"Hmm…..Not as much as I like to" said Xiang melancholically. 

"Dad, do you still love my mother?" asked Yi Jie.

"Why do you ask me that?" asked Xiang.

"Because you never remarried or went out with another woman" said Yi Jie, like if that explained everything.

"Well…..I…..I don't think this is the best moment to talk about that" replied Xiang, someone knocked the door "Come in"

Jiang Li came in with a big vase of red roses "These are for you, Yi Jie. I think you have an admirer"

"Who sent them?" asked Xiang after taking the vase and placing it on a table.

"I don't know but there's a card" replied Jiang Li and she took it out from the vase to read it "Dear Yi Jie: I hope you're okay. I sent this roses so they can accompany the most beautiful flower. Love, Taeko Nakajima"

"See? That's why you should befriend more boys" said Xiang encouragingly.

"I'll thank him as soon as I return to school" said Yi Jie.

"Will you still return to Hong Kong?" asked Jiang Li.

"Yes, but I'll live with my Dad. I'll leave next week" replied Yi Jie.

"I'm glad and I hope that you don't change your mind" said Jiang Li "You'll be better with him than with my sister and my mother"

"Thank you for supporting us" said Xiang.

"You're welcome" said Jiang Li and she walked towards the door "I think you were talking, I'll come back later"

"Sure" said Yi Jie and she glanced her father "Where were we?"

"Who's Taeko Nakajima?" asked Xiang.

"A classmate. Dad, don't try to change the topic" said Yi Jie "We were talking about you and Mom"

"I prefer not to talk about that" replied Xiang.

"Dad, did you divorce Mom because of my grandmother?" asked Yi Jie. Her father closed his eyes and sighed "Yes"

~*~*~*~*~**********************~*~*~*~*~

"Sayuri" called Xu.

"What?" replied Sayuri from the living room.

Xu stopped doing his homework and went to the living room, he faced his cousin "Who's Taeko Nakajima?"

Sayuri raised an eyebrow "He's one of my classmates and he's also a bully. Why do you ask and how do you know about him?"

"Because he sent flowers to my sister" replied Xu.

"He what?" exclaimed Sayuri.

"He sent her red roses" said Xu.

"I see. He's a bully but he seems to be interested in Yi Jie" said Sayuri thoughtfully "He even asked her to be his partner for the Valentine's ball"

"What did Yi Jie reply?" asked Xu.

"She rejected him" said Sayuri. Xu smiled "I'm glad"

"But you know, you shouldn't be so overprotective" said Sayuri.

Xu raised an eyebrow "Why do you say that?"

"You can't protect her all your life" replied Sayuri "If a boy hurts her right now, I'm sure that she'll learn and become stronger"

"I don't want her to suffer" replied Xu stubbornly.

"But that's for the best. Think about it, she'll be more experienced and won't be daydreaming with unreal things" said Sayuri.

"But……" replied Xu. Sayuri got up from the sofa "Think about it"

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

The next day, Yi Jie convinced her parents to let her go to school with a broken arm and a surgical collar. So there she was, at a seat that would be left a week later. Rei, Ai and Youko greeted her and it was the first one of the trio who asked her about her departure.

"Yes, I'll leave this Sunday" confirmed Yi Jie.

"But why?" asked Youko.

"Hmm…..I have my reasons" said Yi Jie hesitantly.

The boy in the seat before bit his lip and got up, making his twin look at him with a puzzled expression. But before he walked in another direction, a hesitant voice called him. It was Yi Jie.

Kouichi turned around and glanced her with a mix of surprise and sadness. He was completely sure that Yi Jie was leaving because of him.

"Yeah?" he said.

"I want to talk with you" replied Yi Jie, she glanced Rei, Ai and Youko "Would you mind if I leave you right now? It's something very important"

"Sure" replied the trio.

"Thanks" said Yi Jie and she glanced Kouichi before getting up "We must talk but not here"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*********~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"So…..what do you want to talk about?" asked Kouichi.

"I want to apologize" said Yi Jie, Kouichi raised an eyebrow "I've been mean with you and you don't deserve that. I'm also sorry for slapping you"

"Well….I….kissed you and I guess you were upset" said Kouichi.

"Yes, I was upset but….I've realized that I'm confused because I'm naïve" explained Yi Jie "I think it was a momentary crush on you or something like that and…..I also flirted with you, it was partly my fault"

"What changed your mind?" asked Kouichi curiously.

"It's not what but who. I had a long talk with my dad" replied Yi Jie, she sighed "He's very understanding and advised me well"

"I see" said Kouichi.

"So can we still be friends?" asked Yi Jie hopefully, Kouichi nodded with a small grin "Thanks"

"Hmm…..so, are you fine?" asked Kouichi.

"Yeah……" replied Yi Jie "I have bruises and it hurts but I'm okay"

"……Are you still leaving?" asked Kouichi, Yi Jie nodded "Why?"

"Because I miss my dad and he misses me" said Yi Jie.

"Yi Jie!!!" called a voice from afar. It was Taeko Nakajima. He approached running with a red rose in his hand and stopped in front of Yi Jie.

Kouichi frowned and was about to speak but kept himself from doing so when he noticed a slight blush on Yi Jie's cheeks after the bully gave her the rose.

"Thanks, Taeko" said Yi Jie and she smiled at him. Kouichi looked at them with incredulity. _'Since when does she call him by his name?'_

"Did you receive my flowers?" asked Taeko.

"Of course. Thanks a lot. Those roses are pretty" replied Yi Jie.

Kouichi coughed to get their attention. Taeko Nakajima turned to see him with indifference "Ah….it's you. Hi"

"Hi" replied Kouichi before Taeko returned his gaze to Yi Jie.

"I'm sorry for not thanking you earlier but Rei, Ai and Youko were talking with me" said Yi Jie.

"Don't worry. Is it true that you'll leave?" asked Taeko.

"Yeah…..I'll leave next week" replied Yi Jie.

"Then, would you like to go out with me this Saturday?" asked Taeko. Kouichi widened his eyes and glanced Yi Jie _'You aren't going to say……'_

"Yes" replied the Chinese girl, Kouichi's jaw dropped _'What?'_

"Great!" said Taeko "We can go to a café or another calm place since you suffered that accident"

"Thanks. You're very considerate" said Yi Jie.

Kouichi turned around and began walking away. _'A mere crush…..Yeah…..that's what I was…..'_  He turned to see Yi Jie smiling at Taeko Nakajima and sighed. He messed his hair, a shadow covered his sapphire blue eyes. Nevertheless, a tiny smile appeared on his face. _'Maybe she likes him…..and if she's not unrequited……then, she'd be happy'_ He continued his way to the school building, barely paying attention to the people around him. Apparently, he had already been replaced, forgotten. _'I guess I'm not special in her life anymore…….' _

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

"You're joking, aren't you?" said Xu incredulously "You suffered an accident and you want to go on a date?"

"I hate to admit it but for once, I agree with him" said Sayuri.

"Well, he sent me those flowers and I wanted to thank him" said Yi Jie.

"So you're going to go out with every guy that sends you flowers" said Xu as matter of fact, he frowned "Sayuri says that he's a bully and a jerk"

"Besides, he's not a good boy. He's always bugged me and he bullies weak kids" added Sayuri "And I've heard he dated Megumi Sugiyama"

"He seems nice to me" replied Yi Jie.

"There's no way you'll go out with a guy that I don't approve" said Xu.

"I've talked with Dad and he agrees with me" said Yi Jie.

"But Yi Jie, Nakajima is a jerk. You can't go out with him" said Sayuri.

"I'd rather saw you with that boy……" said Xu, he raised an eyebrow "What was his name? Kenshin?……Kenichi?"

"It's Kouichi" said Sayuri.

"Whatever. I don't know that Nakajima guy so I think that if you want a date so desperately, you could go out with Kouichi" said Xu.

"No" said Yi Jie firmly.

"No? But you seem to like him" replied Xu.

"We're friends, only friends" said Yi Jie.

"But….I can't let you go out with the bully" said Xu.

"It's my life, I choose whom I date" replied Yi Jie.

"But Yi Jie, he's not a good person. I wouldn't object if you wanted to go out with some other boy" said Sayuri "Believe me, he's not as nice as you think"

"Listen to Sayuri. She thinks that he's not a good guy" insisted Xu.

"I'll go out with him and you can't do a thing so don't keep insisting" said Yi Jie and she turned around to leave.

"But Yi Jie, you can't……" said Xu, he turned to see his cousin with a questioning look "What changed her? She used to be……meek"

"She wanted to become stronger, that's why she's acting like that" said Sayuri "Kouichi was the one who's helped her but now, I'm not sure if he did the right thing"

"I thought she had a crush on him but she wants to date that bully" said Xu "Sayuri, I need your help"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**************~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"I doubt that he'd like to help you" said Kouji.

"I see. It's okay, he hasn't even teased us since last Sunday" said Sayuri.

"Sayuri, do you know……ah, the boy with the ponytail" said Xu, he got a glare "You're Kenji, Kanji……what was your name?"

"It's Kouji" corrected Sayuri.

"Right. Where's your brother?" asked Xu.

"Why do you ask?" snapped Kouji.

"I need his help. I can't let my sister date a bully" replied Xu.

"And what do you want him to do?" asked Kouji.

"I think that if he asks her out that same day, she would suspend her date with the bully" said Xu.

"I don't think so because she was going to go to the ball with Kouichi" said Kouji, he frowned "But she accepted to go out with Nakajima so she practically rejected my brother"

"She was……Sayuri didn't tell me that" said Xu.

"That was because I thought that you'd go to beat Kouichi" said Sayuri.

"Hmm…..I would have threatened him" said Xu. Kouji got up "Look. You threaten my brother and you'll regret it all your life. He's not alone"

"I won't let a ninth grader threaten me. I'm older and stronger than you" said Xu "Sayuri probably didn't tell you but I've practiced martial arts since I was 5"

"So?" said Kouji "I also practice martial arts"

"I can easily deform your face and you won't like that" said Xu.

"Xu, leave now. You're not going to fight with him" said Sayuri.

"Why not? Let him fight with me and I'll teach him a few things" said Kouji.

"So the girlish boy is brave" mocked Xu.

"Stop it you two!" demanded Sayuri "Xu, please leave"

"Humph! You're lucky, kid" said the Chinese boy.

"You're the lucky one" said Kouji.

"Kouji!" scolded Sayuri.

"Dear cousin, I think that your friend and I have to leave" said Xu "Unless he's scared and prefer to stay here"

"Of course I'll leave with you" replied Kouji.

"Oh, no. There's no way you'll fight with my cousin" said Sayuri while holding Kouji's collar.

"I'm sorry, Sayuri" said Kouji after he removed her hand from his collar "But your little cousin deserves a lesson"

"Now, if you'll excuse us" said Xu while walking towards the door "We'll fight"

Kouji nodded and he turned to Sayuri "Stay here. I'll come back soon"

The black-haired girl hesitated but seeing that there was no option, she sighed in defeat "Be careful"

Kouji nodded and followed Xu to the back of the shrine. Once there, both bowed and adopted fighting postures. Xu was the one who began attacking but Kouji dodged him and punched him on the face.

Xu smirked "So the girlish boy isn't as weak as I thought. Great, because it'll be funnier to pulverize him"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~**********************~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Kouji!" called Sayuri as soon as she saw him entering the house. She ran towards him and widened her eyes after seeing that he had a black eye and that his lower lip was bleeding. 

"Your cousin kicks like a mule" said Kouji. Xu entered the house and Sayuri widened her eyes again, her cousin had two black eyes and his nose was bleeding.

"Where did he learn to fight?" asked the Chinese boy "He fights better than me"

"He beat you?" asked Sayuri

Xu nodded much to his annoyance "Yeah……but it wasn't easy for him, you can be sure of that. Anyways, I'll be at my room, I need to clean my nose"

Once he was done speaking, he did as he said. Kouji walked towards the sofa and collapsed there, clutching his stomach and wincing. He sighed and much to his surprise, Sayuri soon began taking care of his bleeding lip, she already had a first-aid kit. He was about to speak but Sayuri shook her head.

"Let me take care of your lip and your black eye" she said, frowning "You shouldn't have fought with him". Kouji merely glanced her and the lecture continued.

After what seemed hours for him, Sayuri was done lecturing him and taking care of his wounds. But she was still upset "I'm talking more like if I were your mother than if I were your friend"

"I was about to say that" said Kouji, he took away his bandana "But your cousin really deserved that"

"Right. I wonder what'll happen when he returns to Hong Kong, I doubt that he'll tell the truth" said Sayuri.

"Would you mind if we don't go to the ball?" asked Kouji.

Sayuri shrugged "No, of course not. I understand that you don't like to go with that black eye"

"Thanks. The ball is on February 12th but we can….have a…..date next Monday" said Kouji with uncertainty.

"A date?" repeated Sayuri.

"Yeah……" said Kouji, a blush appeared on his cheeks "A date. Would you like to go on a date with me?"

"Sure. I'd love to" replied Sayuri, blushing too.

Kouji grinned "You'll look pretty with the gown you bought"

"Where will we go?" asked Sayuri.

"Please, wear that ball gown. I can't tell you but it's a place where we can dance" said Kouji.

"You want to dance with me? I'm not an avid dancer and you know that" replied Sayuri.

"We can practice all the weekend if it's necessary" said Kouji.

"Fine but you must be patient" said Sayuri, she sighed "Are you sure you're okay? Xu hits very hard and I only took care of your lip, your black eye and the bruises in your arms"

"How do you know that he hits hard? Has he hit you?" demanded Kouji.

"We used to train together and I've seen him fight" said Sayuri to calm him down "Don't worry. He was…hmm…quite considerate with me because I'm his cousin and a girl"

"If he harms you, he'll pay" said Kouji.

"No, don't worry for me. He respects me" said Sayuri.

"Fine" said Kouji, not very convinced.

"It's getting late and your family might worry" said Sayuri "I think you should leave"

"My father is on a business trip and Satomi went to visit a friend" said Kouji "Would you mind if I stay for dinner?"

"You can stay" said Sayuri "What would you like to have for dinner?"

"Whatever you cook will taste delicious" said Kouji. Sayuri grinned "Wait here"

After a while, Sayuri returned with a tray of food and a glass of lemonade. She had cooked Japanese food because she thought that Kouji would prefer to eat something he was familiarized with. She picked some food with the chopsticks and put it in front of Kouji's mouth.

"Open your mouth" said Sayuri.

"Hey! There's no way that I'll let you feed me! I can eat without your help" said Kouji "It's true that I'm hurt but I'm not a child that need to be-"

The next thing he knew was that there was food in his mouth so he chewed and swallowed, nodding in approbation. However, he snatched the chopsticks from Sayuri's hands and picked some food, and put it in front of her mouth and waited for her to open it. Sayuri opened her mouth and was fed by Kouji. 

"We're even" said Sayuri.

"I know but I wouldn't mind if you continue feeding me" said Kouji _'I'm really pathetic…….I can't believe I'm doing this to get attention from her…..I'm really pathetic….'_

Sayuri giggled but she received the chopsticks and began feeding Kouji. "You know, you look very funny but incredibly cute"

Kouji swallowed the food "I'm not cute"

Sayuri snorted "Of course you are. You act like a child"

"That's not true" said Kouji.

"Anyways, I don't mind if I had to continue feeding you the rest of your life" said Sayuri.

"You'd have to be my girlfriend and then my wife" said Kouji.

"Right" said Sayuri, embarrassed by her comment "Forget what I said"

"I will. If you continue feeding me" said Kouji, he smirked "And if you let me feed you next time"

"Sure" said Sayuri with a grin and she picked food with the chopsticks "Open your mouth"

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

"What if he prefers to be alone?" whispered Kouji.

"I don't think so. He's your brother and you must help him" said Akiko, she pushed Kouji "Go and talk with him"

Kouji sighed but obeyed. He entered his big brother's room and found him sitting on his bed, glancing the ceiling. Kouji sat beside him, he began whistling and after waiting a few moments for him to say something, he tapped Kouichi on the shoulder.

"Yeah?" said the big brother, still glancing the ceiling.

"Hmm……Are you okay?" asked Kouji.

"Yeah" replied Kouichi emotionlessly.

"So there's nothing wrong with you?" asked Kouji.

"Yeah" replied Kouichi emotionlessly.

"Are you replying 'Yeah' just because?" snapped Kouji.

"Yeah" replied Kouichi emotionlessly.

"We're worried for you" said Kouji.

"Yeah?" said Kouichi once more in the same irritating tone.

"Mom, he's fine! He's joking with his 'Yeah'!" said Kouji a bit annoyed.

"Yeah" said Kouichi.

"Why are you saying 'Yeah' each time I speak?" asked Kouji.

"Because I have nothing else to say" replied Kouichi.

"Mom's worried for you. You haven't bugged me since last week" said Kouji.

Kouichi sighed and turned to him "I see. Tell her that I'm fine and that I prefer to be alone"

"Are you sad because Yi Jie won't go to the ball with you?" asked Kouji.

"No" replied Kouichi. 

"Then, what's wrong with you?" asked Kouji.

"I don't know" said Kouichi.

"What do you mean by that?" asked Kouji.

"I'm not sure of anything since last Sunday" said Kouichi and he placed his chin on his right hand "I'm not even sure if I'm older than you. I'm not sure if you're Kouichi and I'm Kouji. What if my real name is Kouji but in some moment our parents thought that I was Kouichi and that you were Kouji? And what if-"

"Okay. I got the point" interrupted Kouji "But now that you mention it, I wonder how we met. I mean, I've moved many times and by some reason we met thanks to Mrs. Miyahara"

"That's something weird. I saw you with Sayuri, at the entrance of the shrine" said Kouichi thoughtfully "I don't know. I have the feeling that Sayuri hides something"

"What do you mean?" asked Kouji.

"Hmm……I don't know. Like if something were wrong with her" said Kouichi, he snorted "But you know that I'm confused so don't pay attention to me. I'm nuts"

"Well, you look a bit cheerful" said Kouji.

"Yi Jie will leave this Tuesday" said Kouichi.

"I see" said Kouji "Is that why you're sad?"

"Yeah" said Kouichi emotionlessly.

"Don't start with the 'Yeah' reply again" said Kouji.

Kouichi glared him and spoke with a serious tone "I wasn't joking"

Kouji sweatdropped "Sorry"

"It's okay. I haven't been myself for a week" said Kouichi "But don't worry, I'll cheer up and restart teasing you about Sayuri"

"Why don't you call Yi Jie?" asked Kouji "I noticed that you've barely talked with her"

"She's going out with Taeko Nakajima" said Kouichi "And she seems happy with him"

"Sayuri told me that Yi Jie is only trying to get to know another boys" said Kouji "I doubt that she wants to date him"

"Maybe you're right" said Kouichi.

"Then, phone her and ask her if she's fine" said Kouji encouragingly and he took out his cell phone "Come on. She also has a cell phone"

Kouichi took Kouji's cell phone and dialed a number. He waited and soon, Yi Jie answered her cell phone "Hi. It's me Kouichi"

"Hi" greeted back the Chinese girl.

"Hmm…..how are you?" asked Kouichi shyly.

"I'm fine. Right now, I'm with Taeko" said Yi Jie. 

Kouichi's face fell and he frowned after hearing the bully's voice "You must be busy. I only wanted to know if you were fine"

"I see" said Yi Jie "See you"

Kouichi gave back the cell phone and left his room, he didn't even look back at Kouji. He only shrugged and after less than a minute, he was outside the house.

_I felt that we broke apart in the phone conversation when you seemed like a stranger_

_I can't make you understand I was hurt by the words "I'm fine"_

He glanced the sky and began walking, not even knowing where he'd go. Then, he wondered why he was confused and sad. Did everything really begin last Sunday?

_Hey, I realized that becoming unable to meet you is sad like this_

_Everything was too late, but I absolutely, definitely cannot forget from now on_

Why did he have to be so confused? Was his heart aware of something he wasn't? But…..then, why was he doubting? After all, he didn't want Yi Jie to like him. That was what he thought he wanted but after seeing how happy and smiley she was with Taeko Nakajima…….he wasn't so sure. 

_You are, hey, you are... in somebody's arms_

_I understood, I noticed, I can't say anything... but_

_Once more, once more, I want to take anything and everything_

_Into my arms, even if everything gets broken_

He was a fool. Yeah……that was the word. Fool. He snorted at the irony. When Yi Jie liked him, he tried to avoid her feelings. Now, he liked her but she liked someone else. Life was an irony. A place, a time where the most unexpected things could happen and he couldn't do something to fight against it. 

Was that his destiny? To be forgotten? To be replaced? His father forgot him when he was little and now, the girl he liked had already found a substitute for him. 

_'I was her crush…..Kouichi Kimura, stop thinking in what could've happened if you had acted in another way. What is done is done and nothing will change it'_

He kicked a stone and he suddenly realized that he was at the downtown. He walked through the streets and stopped at a shop that sold toys and stuffed animals. Kouichi sighed _'I wonder if she still has Usagi'_. He shook his head and laughed self-pitying, Yi Jie probably got rid of the fluffy bunny. 

He was about to continue walking when he saw Yi Jie and Taeko Nakajima through the glass. Yi Jie was hugging a fluffy lion and smiling at the chestnut-haired boy. Kouichi frowned, he couldn't compete with the bully _'It must be expensive, just like the vase with the red roses he sent her. I could never ever compete with him'_

He turned around and continued walking, he wanted to forget everything and to stay away from everything that would hurt him. He snorted again, he once boasted about being experienced and knowing about love but the truth hit him, he was as naïve as a child and that was because he delayed in realizing his feelings.

_'Good luck. Fate wants it that way……and I won't fight against it'_

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

Sunday arrived sooner than a blue-haired boy would've wanted. He was running through the airport, trying to spot his brother or a chestnut-haired girl. He asked about the flight to Hong Kong and found out that the passengers would leave in less than five minutes.

_'Five minutes! Where's she? Why did I delay at home? What was I thinking?'_ he scolded himself mentally.

Kouichi Kimura continued searching but he couldn't find someone familiar. Yi Jie was probably at the airplane and he was still there. He had to see her one last time and say goodbye. He had to or he'd regret it all his life.

_I couldn't believe that it wasn't a dream, that it wasn't a lie_

_There's nothing to be seen in a good-bye from you, but_

_I loved you, I loved you, I won't reach you anymore, but_

_I can't stop that thing about you from going away_

_'Don't leave, don't leave' my heart is crying_

_You can't go, don't go, our love won't disappear, so_

_Do you still remember that promise where I swore to_

_Love to love? Have you forgotten? Surely you've forgotten_

Finally, he arrived to the waiting room and saw an airplane taking off. He gasped after seeing its name, Yi Jie was going to leave on one of that airplanes. That meant that she had already left, without saying goodbye.

Kouichi fell on his knees and hit the floor with his fist. He felt so frustrated, so depressed, so disappointed. _'Didn't I mean something to her? Why did she leave without saying goodbye? Why?'_

_I loved you, I loved you, I won't reach you anymore, but_

_Looking at you going away, in thinking I become aware of it, so_

_Never forget that even now my heart is still stopped_

_You can't go, don't go... I was in love with you_

"Kouichi!" called a voice. The blue-haired teenager raised his head and turned around. Yi Jie was waving at him from the other corner of the waiting room. Without thinking, he got up and approached running. 

"Yi Jie……you're still here" said Kouichi once he arrived with them.

"Yeah…..I'm still here" said Yi Jie and she showed him the fluffy lion.

"Ah….that lion. Nakajima bought it for you, didn't he?" said Kouichi.

Yi Jie raised an eyebrow and shook her head "No, he only accompanied me when I was buying it. I bought it for you"

Kouichi blinked at the reply but he grinned "For me? It is for me? Really?"

Yi Jie nodded and smiled at him "Yeah"

Kouichi received the fluffy lion and hugged it tightly "Why?"

"Because a lion is brave and gentle, just like you" replied Yi Jie "And it's also very cute"

"Where's your dad?" asked Kouichi.

"He went to the restroom" replied Yi Jie, she hesitated before continuing speaking "Would you mind if I hug you?"

"I wanted to ask you the same thing" said Kouichi. He was careful of not hurting her and hugged her softly. A tear rolled down Yi Jie's cheek but it was wiped away by Kouichi. He smiled sweetly at her.

"Don't cry" he said. Yi Jie nodded and grinned, then, she showed him the stuffed bunny "You still have it"

"I don't want to lose it, that's why I have it with me" said Yi Jie "I went to your house but your mom told me that you were already here"

"I see" said Kouichi "I have a question: Weren't you leaving on the airplane that took off a few minutes ago?"

"No. I'm leaving in five minutes" said Yi Jie "Auntie, Sayuri and Kouji couldn't come because my cousin fainted. They're taking care of her"

"She fainted again?" asked Kouichi, he frowned "I wonder what's wrong with her"

"Anyways, I'll leave soon" said Yi Jie and she blushed "C-Could you kiss me again?"

Kouichi blushed but he kissed her softly on the lips. This time, the kiss wasn't unexpected and it was returned. It barely lasted a few seconds and when it ended, both teenagers blushed.

"Thank you. I'll come back" said Yi Jie "I must travel to discuss with my mother. I must tell her that my dad still loves her and encourage her to be strong and leave my grandmother's place"

"So you'll return? Aren't you lying?" asked Kouichi.

"No, I'm not lying" said Yi Jie.

"Do you promise me that you'll return?" asked Kouichi.

"Yes, I promise you that" replied Yi Jie.

"Yi Jie" called a chestnut-haired man. 

"Dad! Over here!" called back Yi Jie.

Xiang Seung arrived where his daughter and Kouichi were "Hi"

Kouichi grinned "Hi"

"Did you give him the fluffy lion?" asked Xiang and his daughter nodded "I'm glad. I think we should get going"

"Take care" said Yi Jie.

"I will" said Kouichi "Goodbye, sir"

"Goodbye" replied Xiang Seung.

"Goodbye, Kouichi" said Yi Jie.

"Goodbye, Yi Jie" replied the teenager.

They smiled at each other. Then, Xiang and Yi Jie began walking away. Kouichi watched them leave until they were out of his gaze. Minutes later, an airplane was taking off and he turned to see it. Nevertheless, he smiled and hugged his fluffy lion.

_'Do not forget your promise, Yi Jie. I'll be waiting for you'_

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Hi! Wow! I couldn't believe it when I checked my profile's page last Tuesday. 100 reviews! I was about to cry……It means a lot for me. Thanks a lot. Really, thanks a lot. I'm sorry for not updating sooner but I must tell you something, my school is participating at a festival and I must go to rehearse this and that. Besides, I've got homework. The festival will be in the first days of March and exams will also begin. Anyways, I'm trying to update and write in my free time but I haven't got much. (Especially because I had a problem thanks to my forgetfulness).

Now that I'm practically done with Kouichi and Yi Jie, I can return to Kouji and Sayuri. 

Thank you again! Thanks to all of you! 

OmnicromXR: Hi. Thanks for R&R. Well, I watched Tamers for some time but I didn't like it much so I don't know who's Alice. And well, you gave me some ideas so thank you. Well, payback is fun (only when you get revenge because if someone wants to bug you…….) Hehe. =D Anyways, thanks for liking the story and continuing reading it. You probably didn't like to see Kouichi in that depressing mood but he looked kind of a depressing guy at the anime. That's why I write that. See you! =P

Evil Tenshi: Hi. Thanks for R&R. I'm sorry for my reply of last chapter. You see, you were the first one who reviewed and I was writing my reply before starting the chapter. But then, I had to turn off the computer and I couldn't tell you many things. Then, the next day, I opened the file and began writing and forgot to finish my answer. Sorry. I wanted to tell you that I reviewed your story but I forgot to write about the pairings. Hazumi x Natsu, Aki x Fuyu. And what does ARAI mean? =P About Ultracheese…..you made me laugh with your comments about insulting him. I can see that you don't like him. He reminds me of a boy that was at my group but he moved to another school, much to my relief. I read your profile and then his, and I saw that he copied the quiz. Well, good luck if you want to get rid of him. Oh, yeah. I didn't understand very well what Aki was wearing (me and my English). I hope you liked the chapter. See you! =D

Kana: Hi. Thanks for R&R. Hehe. I guess you're right. But he's so sweet and understanding =P Well, it rhymed for me. I'll try to get onto the story and forget my emotions a bit. I hope you continue reading and that you enjoyed this chapter. See you! =D

Kara: Hi. Thanks for R&R. Don't worry, I've also tried to review one or two stories but the review thing delays or it doesn't work. You guessed in some way, I was planning to do that but I wasn't sure if it'd be the right thing. Then, I read your review and began writing on that. =P Thanks for the congratulations, you're very nice. See you! =D

Darkened Loner: Hi. Thanks for R&R. Gee……Wow. I don't know how to start but I really appreciate it. You even e-mailed me. When I began this story, I never imagined that people would like it as much as you. And I'm honored because you are very talented at writing poetry. I read a few of your poems and I loved them. I feel identified with them, they really touched me. Why don't you write more poems at FFnet? I read the one about the Passerby. Oh, yeah. I had already removed my first story from fictionpress before I published the 18th chapter but thanks anyways for all the information about removing stories and the locker rooms. I hope your dinner wasn't very cold when you began eating it. =P Well, I hope you write another poem soon because I love poetry (reading and writing but I haven't published something in a long time, even if I've written a few poems) I hope you like this chapter. See you! =D

Digifan34: Hi. Thanks for R&R. Hehe. Thanks for the compliments. Well, she left but she'll come back. I'm glad that people like my story, that's nice. It makes me feel great. Kouichi-kun is cute and nice, and perfect. I had to write about him too. Do you like kawainess? I do! =P I hope you enjoyed the chapter. See you! =D

Izumi-Star: Hi. Thanks for R&R. Well, thanks for the compliments. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. And I agree, matchmakers can be evil =P (I've been teased since January but what can I say? That sophomore is cute, nice, gentle, understanding, strong, hilarious. He's really nice) Why don't you e-mail me? About the story, I'm done with Kouichi and Yi Jie because what follows will be easier. And wait for the date between Kouji and Sayuri! Mwahahaha! See you! =D

Blue Savage: Hi. Thanks for R&R. Thanks for continuing reading. I hope you also love this chapter because I've just finished it. The ending is getting near but I must work more to make something great. =P See you! =D

Misaki: Hi. Thanks for R&R. I got 104 reviews! =P Sorry, I was excited. Yeah. I also have certain ideals but life is ironic. Hehe. Payback is funny but I prefer sugar. Oh, yeah. Kouichi's cute, that's why I wrote like that about him. Don't you like his face? ***starry-eyed*** He's kawaii!!! Well, I understand the e-mail thing. I don't have much time to check it too. Those mean teachers of mine and the principal, she's giving us a hard time. I hope you liked this chapter, I've just finished it. Sugar rules! See you! =D

~~~Li Kasumi


	20. A first real kiss

Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Wow! March is fantastic! March is so great and Thursdays too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ***dreamy sigh*** Did I tell you that March is fantastic, awesome, incredible? March……….is……….I don't have the words………I only know that I want to listen to romantic songs, especially from anime……….March………Thursday……..even if it is a dream…….I don't want to wake up……… 

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon nor its characters. I only own my original characters. 

Please read, enjoy and review. 

_'Italics'_- thoughts

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                                                                  **_THE LONEWOLF MEETS HIS MATCH_**

By Li Kasumi

Valentine's Day arrived to Shibuya with a refreshing rain. Students were leaving the school building and a trio of teenagers were walking their way home. One of them was having fun by teasing his little brother and his 'future sister-in-law'. Anyways, he stopped teasing them when his twin counterattacked.

"Gee…..you're really resentful" said Kouichi.

"I wasn't the one who looked depressed for a whole week with his 'Yeah' and his questions about this and that" said Kouji, he raised an eyebrow "I still wonder what she sees in you"

"Humph! Respect me! I'm older than you!" said Kouichi, causing his companions to giggle.

"Well, you always claimed to be experienced and to have had girlfriends and other things but when you kissed my cousin, you ran away like a chicken" pointed out Sayuri and smirked "I wonder if you didn't lie about your girlfriends and kisses"

"Hey! You too?" complained Kouichi, he crossed his arms "Humph! You are cruel and I didn't lie!"

"How can we know that you told us the truth?" asked Kouji.

"Because Mom met all my girlfriends" said Kouichi.

"So she's overprotective with her older son, how funny" said Sayuri mockingly.

Kouichi blushed in embarrassment "Shut up! At least I don't faint in the least expected moment" 

Sayuri crossed her arms and glared him "It's not my fault"

"Come on. Don't get mad at each other" said Kouji.

"He was the one who started teasing us" said Sayuri.

"You made fun of me" said Kouichi.

"So the big brother is delicate" mocked Sayuri.

"I'm not delicate!" said Kouichi "And I don't need classes of dance"

"I'm clumsy but unlike you, I admit that I have defects" replied Sayuri.

"Remember that today is Valentine's Day. You two can't be fighting because you're friends" said Kouji "Shake hands"

Both Kouichi and Sayuri turned to see each other and after a few moments, nodded and shook hands much to Kouji's relief. Then, they smiled at each other.

"Good. Now, let's go" said Kouji.

"See you!" said Kouichi and he winked at his twin "I understand if you want to talk without me so I'll see you tomorrow!"

"I can't picture him without his smirks and remarks" commented Sayuri.

"Well, I prefer him that way" said Kouji while watching his big brother walk away.

"Hmm…….so, where will we meet?" asked Sayuri.

"Ah….hmm…..is it okay if I go to the shrine at eight o'clock? We'll have enough time to do our homework and we'll have dinner at a restaurant" replied Kouji.

"That's fine with me" said Sayuri.

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

"You look pretty, my small lily" praised Jiang Li.

"Thanks, Mom" replied Sayuri and smiled shyly at her reflection in the mirror. She was wearing the black gown with thin straps she had bought, her medallion and her hair clip in form of a lily.

"Try not to be nervous" said Jiang Li encouragingly "By the way, is your picture ready? I'm sure Kouji will like it"

"How do you know that the picture is for him?" asked Sayuri.

"It was obvious" said Jiang Li "It has a lot of blue"

"Yes, my picture is for him" said Sayuri.

"Aren't you glad that your first date is with him?" asked Jiang Li dreamily and stroke her daughter's loosened hair "Ah……it brings me happy memories. I still remember my first date with your father, he was very shy but funny and cute"

"Yes, you told me a bit about that" said Sayuri melancholically.

"What's wrong? You looked happy a few seconds ago" said Jiang Li.

"I'm cursed. Kouji deserves someone better than me" replied Sayuri.

"Your father was also cursed and still, I fell in love with him" said Jiang Li "I'm sure that Kouji loves you and you're good enough for him"

Sayuri blushed "Do you think that he wants me to be his girlfriend?"

Jiang Li nodded "I'm sure that he wants that"

"Then, all I have to do is wait for him" said Sayuri.

"Yes and now, you need a bit of lipstick" said Jiang Li.

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

"This is a nice place, thanks for bringing me here" commented Sayuri.

They were at an expensive restaurant in downtown. Both were nervous, most of the people there seemed to be couples and some of them were even dancing. The restaurant was partially dark but it was lit by the candles on the tables, plus there was a man singing love songs on the other side of the restaurant and the ambience was really warm; the place was just romantic.

"Hmm…..you're welcome" replied Kouji  and his fingers touched his hair "Hmm…….do I look good without my bandana?"

"Yes" said Sayuri.

"Thanks. You also look very good with that dress" said Kouji.

"You didn't seem to like me wearing a dress when you met Xu" said Sayuri.

"I didn't like seeing you with his cousin, that's all" said Kouji coldly "He wanted to kiss you"

"Yeah……but you hit him with your sneaker" said Sayuri with a small smirk "Thanks"

"You know, I'm not used not to wear my bandana and my sneakers" said Kouji. He was wearing a black jacket, a black shirt and black pants.

"But you look really handsome" said Sayuri "It's good to see you in those clothes"

"Thanks" said Kouji and he inched forward, taking a deep breath. _'This is the right moment, Minamoto. It's just a question, a few words and everything will be done'_

"Ah…..Sayuri……I….would you….would you like to…..would you like to……?"

"May I take your orders?"

It was the waiter. Kouji's face went white but he nodded, leaving Sayuri with a confused expression on her face. The waiter left after taking their orders. 

"What did you want to tell me before the waiter arrived?" asked Sayuri.

"Nothing, nothing" said Kouji and he sighed in frustration.

"I see" said Sayuri.

Minutes of uncomfortable silence passed and finally, their meals arrived. After other minutes, the teenagers were done with them. Suddenly, a man with a camera approached.

"Excuse, would you like me to take you a photo?" he asked.

Kouji nodded immediately "Sure. Please take two". Sayuri blinked but she soon smiled. Both teenagers followed the photographer's instructions and after a few minutes, two photos where they appeared together were given to them. 

"You know, you make a cute couple" commented the photographer before leaving. Both teenagers snaked a glance at each other and blushed. 

"So, would you like to dance?" asked Kouji.

"Sure" replied Sayuri.

Once they were at the dance floor, Kouji put his arm around Sayuri's waist and took her hand. Then, they began dancing slowly, enjoying the romantic ambience. Much to her dismay, the raven-haired girl soon stepped on her partner's foot.

"Sorry" said Sayuri.

"It's okay. Don't be nervous and you'll do fine" said Kouji.

"I have a question. If you're not the social type, how come you dance so well?" asked Sayuri curiously.

"Let's say that I feel the music" said Kouji "Or that I have a natural talent for dancing"

"Don't be arrogant" teased Sayuri.

"Why not?" asked Kouji, he spun Sayuri "What if I want to boast about having a pretty girl like you as my partner?"

Sayuri blushed and stopped dancing for a few seconds "Y-You think that I'm pretty?"

Kouji grinned and nodded "Yes, you are pretty and unique"

Sayuri returned the grin "Thank you"

"Do you like the place?" asked Kouji.

"I love it. It's very romantic" said Sayuri, she frowned "But it must be expensive"

Kouji shrugged "It's worthy. Don't worry for that"

"I-I am glad that you're with me at this place" confessed Sayuri. The song ended and a new one started "This one is very romantic"

"I know" said Kouji and he pulled her closer but kept dancing "So, are you enjoying our date?"

"Yeah" replied Sayuri "I'm very happy and it's thanks to you"

"I'm also happy" said Kouji, he blushed "You know, I've wanted to ask you something but we were interrupted by the waiter"

"What is it?" asked Sayuri.

"Well, I……I want to ask you to……" began Kouji _'Come on, Minamoto. Why does she have to look at me like that? Minamoto, a few words……..'_

Sayuri raised an eyebrow "Yeah?"

"I don't know how to begin with this" admitted Kouji "I met you on November and you became my friend. But you also became a very special person for me"

"You're also special for me" said Sayuri and she rested her head on his shoulder "You are very special"

"Really?" asked Kouji softly with the liking of having Sayuri so close "Am I very special for you?"

"Yes, you are" said Sayuri.

"Well, I want to tell you that I……I like you a lot and that I have a crush on you. I like you a lot" said Kouji. He waited for the answer.

Sayuri slowly raised her head and glanced him with a mix of happiness and sadness, slowly getting further from him. "I also have feelings for you but I can't forget that I'm cursed"

Kouji looked away for a moment but he returned his gaze on her "So? I'll help you and you'll be fine. Don't ruin this, please"

"But Kouji, I don't want to endanger your life again. I was very scared last time" protested Sayuri. However, her partner shook his head "I'll be fine, I have my katana"

"Do you think that I deserve you?" asked Sayuri.

"You're worthy, don't forget that" said Kouji "Of course that you deserve me"

"You're perfect" said Sayuri, getting close to him again "I don't want to know how my life would be without you"

"So, that means that you're not rejecting me?" asked Kouji. 

"I could never reject you" said Sayuri with a warm smile.

"Then, let's keep dancing" said Kouji and he spun her gracefully.

                                                            ~*******************************~

"It's a shame that we have school tomorrow or we'd have stayed a bit longer" said Sayuri.

"But we enjoyed our date a lot and I promised your mom that we wouldn't return too late" said Kouji, he shook his head and glanced the puddles on the road. Apparently, it rained while they were at the restaurant.

The town seemed calm and peaceful even if it was Valentine's Day, probably because it was Monday and the night was chilly. However, both teenagers weren't bothered by the silence. Kouji suddenly took off his jacket and put in around Sayuri's shoulders to keep her warm.

"Thank you but you'll be cold" she said.

"I'll be fine" replied Kouji "Besides, you fainted yesterday and I don't want you to fall ill"

"You're very kind and considerate" said Sayuri, she smiled "Never lose those virtues"

"I won't" replied Kouji, he sighed at the sight before him. The stairs that leaded to a park were wet because of the rain "Be careful while descending the stairs, I don't want you to slip and fall"

"Don't worry for me. I'll be fine" said Sayuri.

They carefully began going downstairs. However, the small lily wasn't careful enough and before being done descending the stairs, she slipped and released a scream.  Luckily for her, Kouji was by her side and held her by the waist.

"T-Thanks. I got scared" admitted Sayuri.

She turned her face to him and buried her face in his chest. She suddenly felt two arms around her and she slowly embraced Kouji back. Seconds passed, she raised her head and saw a pair of sapphire blue eyes glancing her. 

"Close your eyes" said Kouji softly.

Sayuri did as she was told. When she least expected, a gentle hand lifted her chin and her lips were shyly captured. The embrace was broken but the kiss didn't. It was a soft and gentle kiss…..a first real kiss. The raven-haired girl shyly began sliding her hand at the back of Kouji's head and began kissing him back, forgetting her fears, forgetting the inexperience and letting herself dream. 

Time and space were frozen. Raindrops began falling on them, like if they were celebrating their kiss. A kiss that was meant to be given……..A kiss that had been written by destiny.

Seconds later, both teenagers broke it but smiled at each other. The rain continued falling on them but they weren't bothered by that fact. Another kiss was shared in middle of the rain. Words weren't needed, the actions spoke by themselves.

                                     ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~************************************~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Sayuri, you are going to be late for school!" called a voice from outside a girl's room.

A sixteen-year-old girl took her schoolbag after glancing the clock on the wall and left her room in the blink of an eye, then, she greeted her mother and finally left the shrine without even having breakfast.

Sayuri Miyahara ran the fastest she could and arrived to school just before the bell rang. She walked the fastest she could and arrived to her classroom just in time.

She was soon greeted by two blue-haired teenagers and one of them had a smirk on his face. However, luck wasn't on his side, in the moment he was about to tease her, the professor arrived. 

The hours passed slowly, much to the students dismay. English, Geography and History…….three classes without excitement. Finally, the bell rang and lunch started.

"So, why did you arrive late to the classroom?" asked Kouichi.

"Because I overslept" replied Sayuri.

Kouichi smirked "I suppose you enjoyed your date a lot"

Sayuri blushed but she smirked "Yi Jie phoned yesterday and asked me to tell you something but since you began teasing me………."

Kouichi paled and Kouji smirked too. The older twin blushed and glanced Sayuri eagerly "Come on. I won't tease you in a long time, I promise. But please tell me, please. If you ever need something, I'll help you"

Sayuri giggled "Well, I don't know…….but I'm hungry and I didn't bring my lunch so-"

"Here!" said Kouichi, handing her his lunch immediately "Now, tell me what she said"

"Gee…….I never thought that you were so in love with her" said Sayuri.

"I'm sure that he sleeps with the fluffy lion" teased Kouji.

"I only keep it at my room" said an embarrassed Kouichi.

"Fine. You'll share your lunch with me" said Sayuri and Kouichi nodded "She said that she wished you a Happy Valentine's Day and that she missed you"

"That's all?" said Kouichi with disappointment.

"I don't know" said Sayuri, a smirk playing on her lips "I have a bad memory…….I don't remember……."

"Eat and you'll remember" said Kouichi.

"If you insist" said Sayuri, she picked food with a pair of chopsticks and eat it "Your mom is a good cook"

"I know" said Kouichi impatiently "Now, tell me what else she said"

"Well……" began Sayuri "She told me that she'll phone you soon because she wants to talk with you"

"Do you know if she's coming back soon?" asked Kouichi.

Sayuri ate more food and winked at Kouji, who enjoyed seeing his big brother all worried and anxious "She doesn't know. It seems that she's talked with auntie Xia He but my grandmother's intervened"

"I see" said Kouichi, he frowned but he soon smiled "So she'll phone me soon"

"Yes, that's what she told me" said Sayuri.

"I'm sure that he won't leave the phone once he arrives home" commented Kouji.

"I miss her. What's wrong with that?" said Kouichi.

"She just left two days ago" said Kouji.

"It doesn't matter. I miss her" said Kouichi.

"Aww……young love" mocked Sayuri and she laughed.

"Humph! Shut up!" said Kouichi, saying that, he turned around and left them.

"I never thought that he'd end up falling in love with my cousin" said Sayuri.

"But he did and that's very funny" said Kouji "I can tease him a lot thanks to her"

"Hmm……I was wondering if you'd like to go to the shrine this afternoon" said Sayuri "I want to show you my picture"

"Really? So you finished it?" asked Kouji.

"Yeah……I ask Mom to get it framed and put a glass on it" said Sayuri "It must be ready"

"I see" said Kouji, he smiled "I'll go before seven o'clock"

"Great" said Sayuri and she kissed him on the cheek.

Not so far, two girls were watching them. The taller one glared them and made a face, then, she turned to her red-haired friend and began criticizing the couple like if there were no tomorrow.

"……and I mean, he's handsome and has everything to be popular but he chose the freak over me! I can't still believe it!" said Megumi Sugiyama poisonously and she immediately added "I heard one of the conversations between the twins, apparently, he was going to go on a date with the freak! On Valentine's Day! And ask her to be his girlfriend!"

"Calm down, Megumi. You can get someone else" said Junko.

"How can you ask me that?" exclaimed the brunette and she glared the distant couple "But maybe you're right"

"Really? At least you're being sensible" said Junko.

"Now that they're together, it'll be easier to break them apart" said Megumi, her friend gave her a puzzled look "You'll see, it'll be great. I'll love to see them suffering, especially the freak"

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

Later, that evening, the little brother decided to pay a visit to his big brother. It would be fun if Kouichi was standing near the phone as he said earlier. Kouji rang the bell and his mother opened the door, greeting him with a smile and welcoming home.

"Do you know what's up with Kouichi? He has barely moved from the phone since he arrived" commented Akiko Kimura.

"Really?" said Kouji and he made a great effort to not laugh "I wonder why"

"Kouichi, your brother is here!" said Akiko once they were at the living room. 

The older twin turned to see his brother and blushed in embarrassment, he was sat beside the phone, with a notebook in one hand and a pencil in another. 

"What are you doing here?" asked Kouichi.

"I wanted to visit you" said Kouji.

"Kouji also wonders why you haven't moved from the phone and I'd like to know the answer" said Akiko.

Kouichi sweated nervously and glared his twin "Ah…..because I'm…….someone will phone me"

"Who?" asked Akiko.

"Someone from school" replied Kouichi, feeling the intense gaze from his mother.

"Hmm…….fine" said Akiko with distrust but looking very interested "I'll bring you two lemonade"

"Thanks, Mom" said Kouji.

"You're welcome" said Akiko and she left.

Once she was gone, Kouji glanced his brother and began laughing. Kouichi glared him but kept himself from speaking. However, Kouji continued laughing and Kouichi couldn't bear it anymore.

"Stop it!" he demanded.

"Why? You're mushy" mocked Kouji.

"Humph! At least I've kissed Yi Jie twice while you have only kissed Sayuri once" shot back Kouichi.

"In fact, my score is higher. I've kissed Sayuri once more than you with Yi Jie" said Kouji, half embarrassed.

Kouichi widened his eyes and began laughing "That's not true! You're a chicken! You'd never do that!"

It was Kouji's turn to glare "Hey! We did kiss!"

Kouichi was rolling on the floor with laughter "Ha! But one on those times was an accident so we're even. I've kissed Yi Jie because I wanted and not by accident! I kissed her!"

"Whom did you kiss, Kouichi?" demanded Akiko Kimura. She had just returned and it seemed that the twins didn't remember that she'd come back. 

Kouichi stopped laughing and froze. Kouji stepped back involuntarily and glanced the door. He turned around and waved.

"Hmm……I remembered that I must…..buy something! Groceries! Yeah! I must buy groceries! I'll see you tomorrow!" said Kouji and he immediately left in an hurry. Kouichi wanted to faint and kill Kouji for getting him into trouble.

Akiko Kimura was frowning and tapping the floor with her right foot "You owe an explanation, young man"

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

Kouji was walking down the street, feeling quite guilty for getting his twin in trouble. _'But, Mom would know anyways. Once Yi Jie returns, they'll be an item'_ An item………if he had been more courageous, he would have asked Sayuri to be his girlfriend _'Well, we kissed…..besides, she may think that something like that is mushy'_  He shook his head, he'd have to talk about that with her but not at the shrine. At some other place, maybe. Then he remembered something, he'd feel strange around Mrs. Miyahara. He wondered if Sayuri had told her what happened last night.

After some minutes, he arrived to the Miyahara Shrine. Silence was filling the atmosphere like it did most of the time. He walked and stopped in front of the door, he rang the bell and waited for an answer. 

However, no answer came. 

He knocked again but harder and much to his surprise, it swung open. He came into the house and began walking. Apparently, there was no one. _'How strange…..she asked me to come'_ . He walked a bit more and to his horror, found Sayuri lying in the floor with her eyes closed.

"Sayuri!" he called and kneeled beside her. He began shaking her and noticed a stain of blood on her right leg "Sayuri, wake up!"

_'Why? What's wrong? Why aren't I in that realm? Is she unconscious?'_ His last question was soon answered, Sayuri winced and a cut appeared on her hand.

"Come on! What's wrong? Wake up!" said Kouji while shaking her. 

Sayuri didn't answer but Kouji continued shaking her. Minutes passed and finally, the raven-haired girl opened her eyes only to find a familiar face.

"Lonewolf……."

Kouji smiled in relief and hugged her. "What happened? Why couldn't I help you?"

Sayuri closed her eyes "Because I don't want you to get hurt"

"What do you mean?" demanded Kouji.

"I….promised him that I wouldn't let you go to his world" explained Sayuri.

"Where's your mom?" asked Kouji.

"She went to buy a few things, she must arrive soon" replied Sayuri weakly.

She was right. Jiang Li Miyahara arrived minutes later with two bags that fell to the floor as soon as she saw the blood on Sayuri's leg.

"She had a nightmare" said Kouji before Mrs. Miyahara had the chance to speak.

"I see. What about you? Did you get hurt?" asked Jiang Li worriedly.

"No, I couldn't help her" replied Kouji "She didn't let me"

"I made a promise……now, please, take me to my room" said Sayuri.

"Sure" said Kouji.

                                                                        ******************************

"Thank you" said Sayuri while looking at her now bandaged leg.

Her mother nodded "You're welcome"

"You can come in" called Sayuri.

Kouji entered the room "How are you?"

"I'm fine" replied Sayuri, she turned to Jiang Li "Mom, did you do what I asked you to yesterday?"

"Yes" replied Jiang Li. She opened the closet and handed her a picture with a frame and a glass protecting it.

"This is for you, Kouji" said Sayuri.

The boy looked puzzled but nodded and approached to receive it. He thanked her and admired the picture. It was a sort of landscape but most of it was blue. A silver moon appeared in the left corner and at the distance, a blue mountain was painted. The shadow of a wolf howling to the moon was also painted and in the middle of the picture, above the top of the mountain, a pair of sapphire blue eyes were painted.

"You painted this?" asked Kouji.

"Yeah………" replied Sayuri.

"Thank you" said Kouji.

"Do you like it?" asked Jiang Li.

"Of course" replied Kouji.

"I'm glad" said Sayuri and she yawned "I'm tired. Could you come some other day?"

"Sure" replied Kouji.

"I'll accompany you to the arch" offered Jiang Li.

                                                             *****************************************

Kouji glanced the shrine one last time before turning around to go home. Things were getting worse and he would do anything to get them better. But he hadn't seen Aki since he that dream and her clue wasn't something that helped him as much as he wanted. He needed to talk with the seer and the sooner, the better. Little did he know that his wish would be granted soon.

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Chapter 20 finished!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm happy! Did I tell you that I'm happy? Well, I am. Sorry for not updating sooner but the festival starts tomorrow and we've been rehearsing. Besides, this two last weeks have been the strangest in all my life (that is short but……..) I've been sad, angry and happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Don't ask, it's a long story) But hey! I'm happy! I hope you are well! See you soon! =P

OmnicromXR: Hi. Thanks for R&R again. It's a shame that I didn't see the feeding scene as a way to blackmail them but ***sigh*** what is done is done. Hehe……thanks a lot for the compliment, it means a lot for me, it means that I'm doing a good job. See you! =P

Digifan34: Hi. Thanks for R&R again. I can see that you like Kouichi-kun a lot. I also like him. He's very nice and cute, and sweet and the list continues………I'm glad that you liked it. Kawaii stories are nice. If I'm lucky and don't get a writer's block, my next story will have more romance with Kouichi and will have kawaii things. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. See you! =P

Evil Tenshi: Hi. Thanks for R&R again. You're right, I based the stuffed lion in Lowemon or Loweemon, I don't know how it's spelled. I'll check my dictionary in order to understand the vocabulary and thanks for clarifying my doubts about ARAI and to Aki's clothes. Well, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. See you! =P

Kana: Hi. Thanks for R&R. Well, I'm not sure if it's a crush. Let's say that I like him a lot, as a friend and maybe…..in other circumstances…….you'd need to know both of us to understand. Hehe…..Anyways, thanks for continuing reading my story and I really liked that chapter. Hope you enjoyed this one too. See you! =P

Misaki: Hi. Thanks for R&R. About the story of the Quest…….I don't think that I'll continue it because I've stopped liking that cartoon and because one friend told me that Misty left the cartoon so I don't think it'll be appropriate but if you liked it and if I get idea, I'll reconsider that. And about the chapter, I was very inspired…….***dreamy smile*** To tell the truth, I'm hyper right now. My mom is even a bit scared but I'm happy!!!!!!!!!! See you! =P

Kara: Hi. Thanks for R&R. Well, the chapter ended with a happy ending, I think. I was in a very good mood ***wide grin***. Kawaiiness is great! Thanks for continuing reading, I appreciate it. See you! =P

~~~Li Kasumi


	21. Return

Hi! How are you? In this moment, I'm fine and happy……..well, a bit tired but I'm still happy. Hehe. I'm starting to write this chapter on a Sunday morning because I must leave to the festival before the sunset. (Don't ask again, it's organized by the town council). Anyways, I must begin with this. 

By the way, read carefully some parts……Hehe. Misaki, read carefully, you once mentioned that you liked to solve mysteries from stories, well, you might enjoy the chapter. If I do a good job, I can fool someone for a few moments. =P

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon nor its characters. I only own my original characters

_'Italics'-_thoughts

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**_                                                          THE LONEWOLF MEETS HIS MATCH_**

By Li Kasumi

Spring. The season of renaissance and youth, the season that celebrates a new beginning. New dreams rise just like the flowers blossom. Spring is one of the most loved seasons by people……but what makes it so special?

More than one month has passed at Shibuya. February left in the blink of an eye to let March return once again. Spring has just arrived and the town is ready to welcome it.

"But why should I sing?" whined a raven-haired teenager for the millionth time.

"Because your father would've wanted that way, young lady" replied an amber-eyed woman.

Below a cherry blossom tree, a woman and her daughter were talking. More than once, soft petals fell over them and more than once, the teenager removed them from her face.

Like every year, the Miyahara Shrine was covered in cherry blossoms' petals and its sacred tree had blossomed in the most beautiful way. Few days ago, Jiang Li Miyahara had made an announcement that wasn't welcomed by her only daughter.

"But I don't want to sing, I'll embarrass myself in front of many people"

"Come on, Sayuri. You have a pretty voice, that's why I want you to sing" 

"Can't I help you with something else? Please, Mom"

"No, you're going to sing and that's final"

Jiang Li got up and glanced her daughter one last time before leaving. Once she was sure that Sayuri couldn't hear her, she laughed at her daughter's shyness. She looked at the blue and clear sky, no clouds covered the sun.

            _'She really needs to go out more and make more friends. Besides, spring festivals always bring me happy memories. I met Satoru on this place and it was a very funny moment……he was so clumsy when he got nervous'_

A smile appeared on her face. She walked further and entered the house, remembering her first days at it. _'Another festival, that might cheer us'_

Unexpectedly, the phone rang. Jiang Li raised and eyebrow but soon answered it. She grinned as soon as she was greeted by a familiar voice. 

"…….so I think I'll return soon"

"Really? Kouichi will be very happy"

"Hmm……don't tell him"

"Why not?……Ah! I understand, it's a surprise for him"

"No, that's not the reason"

"Huh? I don't understand"

"I'll explain you when I arrive"

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

"I don't understand why you don't want to sing, Sayuri. Kouji told me that you have a melodic voice" commented Akiko Kimura.

The raven-haired shook her head and continued adorning the shrine. The festival would be in a few days but she wasn't very happy with the idea.

"Besides, Kouichi will be the one playing the piano and he's talented" added Jiang Li.

"I know but I don't like to sing in public" replied Sayuri.

"Don't worry, they'll clap a lot. I'm sure" said Kouichi "By the way, do you know if Yi Jie's having problems? She hasn't phoned me for almost two weeks and I've tried to phone her but she's never at home"

Jiang Li frowned and decided not to speak but her daughter did "My cousin will return soon. I'm surprised that she didn't tell you"

A frown appeared on Kouichi's face but he said nothing. However, it didn't go unnoticed by his mother.

"Is something wrong, Kouichi?" asked Akiko.

"No" replied her older son "Why didn't you tell me that Yi Jie's coming back?"

"I thought that my mom had told you" said Sayuri.

"Hmm……my niece didn't want you to know about her return, that's why I didn't tell you" explained Jiang Li.

"I'm sure that she wants to surprise you" said Sayuri.

Jiang Li bit her lip and sighed "No, that's not the reason. She asked me not to tell you, that's all I know"

"I see" replied the blue-haired teenager, he turned around "I think I left something at home. I'll…….come back soon"

Akiko frowned "Kouichi, stay here. I-"

Her son didn't turned to see her, he walked quickly and without hesitation. Ignoring his mother's calls, Kouichi continued walking until the shrine was a considerable distance. He crossed the street and stopped in front of a door, hesitating to knock. _'There's nothing to miss'_

He knocked and waited for an answer. A short-haired woman opened the door and blinked twice before uttering a sound.

"You're Kouichi" she said.

"I know I am" replied the teenager harshly, he soon regretted his impoliteness "I'm sorry for being rude. Is Kouji at home?"

Satomi Minamoto nodded "He is. Please, come in"

Kouichi nodded "Thank you"

Once he entered the house, he was leaded to his twin's room by Satomi. He glanced the house with attention, it was clearly noticeable how much his father earned with his businesses. Satomi knocked a door and it was soon opened, revealing a long-haired teenager.

"Kouichi, what are you doing here?" asked Kouji, not being able to hide his surprise.

The big brother hesitated, Satomi was still there, he could not speak freely "Hmm……I want to talk with you"

Satomi coughed to get their attention "I think I should leave. Would you like tea, lemonade……?"

"No, thanks" replied Kouji, he glanced his twin "What about you?"

"I'm not thirsty. Thank you, _Mrs. Minamoto_" replied Kouichi.

"Then, excuse me" said Satomi, she turned around and left.

"Nice place" mocked Kouichi as soon as he entered Kouji's room "Your mom is nice"

"She's my stepmother, not my mom" replied Kouji, he raised an eyebrow but his voice softened "But I love her, she's taken care of me all these years"

"Of course" said Kouichi "It's gratitude"

"I suppose it is" said Kouji, he sat on the floor "So what brings you here? You don't like to come"

"Hmm……I….." said Kouichi after sitting beside him, he looked around and scowled "You have everything I don't: a family, a nice house, nice things and……love"

Kouji raised an eyebrow "What's wrong with you? Did something happen? You're a cheerful person"

Kouichi laughed mockingly "And an unlucky one"

Kouji frowned "Are you okay?"

"Yi Jie phoned Mrs. Miyahara, she's coming back soon" said Kouichi emotionlessly.

"Really? That's great" said Kouji. There was a long silence and instead of seeing a smile appear on his brother's face, a frown was shown "Hey! She's coming back. Isn't that what you want?"

"Well, she hasn't phoned me and she even asked her aunt not to tell me about her return and it's not because she wants to surprise me. Something's wrong, I'm sure. She's been avoiding me" said Kouichi.

"I see" said Kouji, he glanced his twin "Aren't you imagining things? Maybe she…….she could……you know, she wants to do a few things before seeing you again or maybe she's scared of her brother"

Kouichi shook his head "Xu doesn't bug her and Yi Jie doesn't let him manipulate her anymore. Besides, what could she want to do?"

"That's a good point" said Kouji "Then, you should wait for her to come and clarify things with her"

"She's been making new friends at Hong Kong so she's probably met new guys" commented Kouichi "I wonder if she's forgot me and found someone else"

"I don't think so" said Kouji.

"I don't even know what we are" said Kouichi, he sighed "I mean, I'm not her friend but I'm not her boyfriend either"

"Hmm…..I still think that once she returns, you should talk with her" said Kouji.

"What if she's met someone else?" asked Kouichi.

"You should still talk with her" said Kouji.

"Fine" said Kouichi, he frowned but he soon smirked at the arrival of one thought "Hey! Why don't you sing with Sayuri?"

"What? No! Never!" exclaimed Kouji, getting up.

"Why not?" asked Kouichi, faking innocence.

"Because I don't like to sing in public!" replied Kouji.

"Aww……Too bad because Sayuri wants you to sing with her" said Kouichi.

Kouji frowned but soon smirked "That's not true and you know that"

"How are you sure of that? Has she told you something?" asked Kouichi, his twin nodded with confidence "I guess my plans didn't work this time"

"I guess……because I lied" said Kouji and he smirked again "Sayuri doesn't even like to speak about the festival"

"You're smart" said Kouichi.

"Sometimes" said Kouji.

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

Two days passed and three people arrived to the arch of the Miyahara Shrine. The youngest of them felt uncomfortable at that place but she knew that many things remained to be done. Much to her surprise, her aunt called her and walked towards her and her two companions.

"Yi Jie! Xu!" called Jiang Li.

"Hi" replied Yi Jie.

"Hi, auntie!" greeted Xu Seung and hugged her.

"It's good to see you" said Jiang Li and raised an eyebrow after seeing the third person "Excuse, who are you?"

"I'm sorry" said Xu and turned to his companion "Let me introduce you to Fu Chang"

"Nice to meet you" said the Chinese man.

"It's my pleasure" replied Jiang Li with a smile and getting one in reply_ 'If I were some years younger……..'_    

The Chinese woman had to admit that she was rather impressed by the stranger. His black hair fell elegantly over his forehead and his emerald eyes were as charming as his smile. Even if he didn't look as strong and brawny as her nephew, his slender figure and white teeth weren't worthless and she found him incredibly attractive.

Jiang Li slapped herself mentally and took away her eyes from Fu Chang "I'm sorry. I forgot to tell you who I am, my name is Jiang Li Miyahara"

"Don't worry, madam" replied the Chinese man.

"Mr. Chang is a musician and works for the most prestigious academy of music of China" commented Xu "He's traveled around the world and he was told about a great talent in Japan"

"I see" said Jiang Li and she glanced her niece momentarily _'Kouichi…….'_

"Where's Sayuri?" asked Yi Jie.

"She's at the back of the shrine, adorning some places" said Jiang Li.

"The festival will be soon, won't it?" said Xu, his aunt nodded "I can't wait for it, I'll be video-tapping Sayuri's performance"

"Xu……" warned Yi Jie.

"Fine. I won't" said the teenager.

"Excuse me, I don't what you're talking about" said Fu Chang.

"I'm sorry for not telling you earlier, Fu" said Yi Jie, getting a glance of pure incredulity from her aunt "There will be a Spring festival at the shrine tomorrow and my cousin Sayuri will sing"

"That's very interesting, Yi Jie" said the musician "I didn't know that your cousin had musical abilities"

"Well, she has a melodic voice" said Jiang Li "Why don't you follow me and meet her?"

"Sure" replied Fu.

The trio followed Jiang Li until they spotted Sayuri removing some petals from her black hair. She was soon called by her mother and introduced to Fu Chang. The musician greeted her with a charming smile and shook her hand. After a few explanations were given to her, she noticed that her cousin called the musician by his name. It seemed that the girl there wasn't the Yi Jie she used to know anymore, for the Yi Jie she knew would never call a man older than her by his name.

                                                              *************************************

That same evening, Yi Jie and Sayuri were washing the dishes at the kitchen. Silence filled the atmosphere but it was the youngest of them who decided to break it.

"So why do you call Mr. Chang by his name?" asked Sayuri suddenly.

"Because he's another musician and a good friend that understands me" said Yi Jie.

"But he's many years older than you, I'm surprised that you call him by his name" said Sayuri.

"Fu is a very nice man and he lets me to call him by his name" said Yi Jie "Besides, he's helped me in many things and I like him a lot"

"He's an attractive man, even my mom seems…..'pleased' with his presence" said Sayuri with a reproaching tone, she crossed her arms "Fortunately, he's younger than her"

"He's older than he seems to be" said Yi Jie and she giggled "He often jokes about that"

"So you like him a lot" stated Sayuri with a reproaching but disappointed tone "Did you forget Kouichi?"

Yi Jie frowned but kept silent.

In that moment, the twins were walking towards the kitchen. Kouichi wanted to surprise Yi Jie after knowing that she had just returned from Hong Kong. He had picked many cherry blossoms and gathered them to form a bouquet for her. Nevertheless, when he heard his name, he covered his twin's mouth and asked him not to make a sound. He was very interested in listening to Yi Jie and Sayuri's conversation.

"Answer me" demanded Sayuri.

"Well, Kouichi is very nice and cute. He's good-looking and very talented too" said Yi Jie.

"You didn't answer my question" said Sayuri with a colder tone "Did you forget him?"

"That's none of your business" said Yi Jie.

Sayuri glared her for a few seconds but when she spoke, her voice softened "He's in love with you and is waiting for your return. If you've stopped liking him, tell him as soon as you can" 

"Fu is very nice. I've been telling Kouichi that I've been making friends" said Yi Jie, she sighed "He taught me a lot of things, I can't deny that"

"Are you trying to tell me that you're in love with Fu Chang?" asked Sayuri.

"Well, he's very handsome and a great musician, he's also very talented" said Yi Jie "But I don't like him that way"

"But you aren't in love with Kouichi either" stated Sayuri.

"I've been dating a few boys and I've become more experienced" said Yi Jie "Kouichi is a very special boy and he means a lot for me but I think that after I've dated those boys, I-"

"You are as false as Himiko! You were using me!" snapped Kouichi angrily, entering the kitchen.

Yi Jie paled as soon as she saw him and Sayuri was also shocked to see him. He was standing next to Kouji and holding a small bouquet of cherry blossoms. His once gentle sapphire blue eyes hold nothing but fury and disappointment.

"You were listening?" asked Yi Jie softly.

"Of course not. I'm angry because I've just seen you!" said Kouichi sarcastically. 

"Koui-" said Yi Jie.

"Shut up. You were only using me……you wanted to become strong and you succeeded, you wanted to get experience with boys and you succeeded, you wanted to feel that you could hurt someone and you succeeded……" interrupted Kouichi. His eyes narrowed and his hand let the bouquet fall to the cold floor, petals spreading over it.

"No! You don't understand!" said Yi Jie "Let me explain you!"

"You don't have to explain me anything!" snapped Kouichi. He glanced the bouquet and stepped on it furiously, crushing the delicate petals of the cherry blossoms. Then, he picked it with his hand and threw it at Yi Jie, he glanced her one last time before turning around and walking away quickly, not even glancing back.

"Why?" asked Kouji, glancing Yi Jie.

The Chinese girl looked away and she finally closed her eyes. Seconds later, the bouquet fell to the floor once again.

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

Kouichi Kimura was running through the streets, not even noticing that he was running near old alleys. When he least expected, he bumped into a teenager……a very dangerous teenager.

"Kimura! Are you blind?" snapped Taeko Nakajima.

The bully was accompanied by all his gang. The bullies shared a smirk that Kouichi didn't like and in the blink of an eye, he was thrown to a wall just to begin beating him again and again.

Kouichi tried not to wince but he couldn't. He wished that he could be like Kouji, a great fighter and teach them a lesson but he was a mere pianist against many of them, he couldn't do anything. Taeko Nakajima punched him repeatedly in the stomach, enjoying to see him suffering and clutching his stomach in pain. The bully lifted Kouichi by the collar and prepared to punch him in the face, he released his fist but found it caught by a strong hand.

"What the-……" 

He cursed under his breath once he turned to see the boy before him. He was incredibly tall and very brawny, with a stern expression on his face.

"You look somehow familiar" commented Taeko.

"Who are you?" demanded Keisuke.

"My name is Xu Seung" replied the teenager. With a very fast movement, he released Kouichi from Taeko's grip and bent to face the bully.

"Hey! You'll pay for intervening!" spat Taeko.

"Really? I don't think so" replied Xu.

"You're Chinese" commented Keisuke, he widened his eyes "Do you know Sayuri Miyahara?"

"She's my little cousin" said Xu and he nodded in understanding "So you're the bullies and one of you must be Taeko Nakajima"

"I'm Nakajima" said Taeko.

"So you're the boy who dared to ask my sister out" said Xu, he glared Nakajima "Yi Jie is not for you and you better stay away from her now that she's come back"

"She's here at Shibuya? That's great" said Taeko, he smirked "Let's make a deal: if you can defeat all of us, I'll never get close to her"

"No, let's make a better one: You win and you can date my sister plus I'll do whatever you want for a whole day" said Xu.

"And if you win?" asked Taeko, looking very interested. 

"If I win, you'll stay away from Yi Jie and you'll do whatever I want for a whole day" replied Xu.

"It's a deal" said Taeko.

Xu put Kouichi on the floor and once he was facing a few bullies, he smirked and positioned in a fighting posture. It'd be funny to beat them and get his prize.

~*~*~*~*~************~*~*~*~*~

"What did you do, Xu? Kouichi, are you fine?" cried Jiang Li.

"I didn't beat him, he was beaten by the bullies that bug Sayuri" said Xu.

The Chinese boy had just arrived to the shrine with Kouichi on his back. Yi Jie, Sayuri, Kouji and Fu Chang went to the entrance after hearing Jiang Li's cry. 

"What did you do to my brother?" demanded Kouji.

"It wasn't me, it was Taeko Nakajima" replied Xu but he was glared by Kouji "I can prove it"

He handed a small schoolbag to Sayuri "There's a video camera there, I was proving it near some cool alleys when I heard some noises so I got close and spotted some boys beating him. I decided to put my video camera close to record everything and then, I went to stop the bullies"

"I'm going to call a doctor" said Sayuri, leaving quickly with the schoolbag.

"Xu, follow me. Kouichi needs to rest" said Jiang Li.

The teenager did as he was told and once he entered a room with two beds, he put Kouichi on one of them. His aunt left for bandages and the first-aid kit. He was touched when his sister rushed to the Japanese boy's side and caressed his bruised cheek.

"You didn't lie" said Kouji as soon as he entered the room, followed by Sayuri and Fu "Hmm…..Thanks for helping him"

"It was nothing" said Xu, he smirked "It was funny to beat Nakajima and his gang, to crush them so easily"

"Wait once I see him, he'll pay for beating Kouichi" said Kouji.

"We can use that video and show that he's not as nice as he seems" said Sayuri.

Jiang Li came in with the first-aid kit and began cleaning Kouichi's bruised face "I think you all should leave, except Kouji"

"But I want to stay" replied Yi Jie.

"You heard me, young lady" said Jiang Li.

"Please, come with us" said Sayuri. Her cousin sighed but obeyed, she left the room with Xu, Fu and Sayuri.

                                                             ************************************

"……but don't move him, he should stay here at least this night" finalized the doctor.

"Sure. Thank you" said Jiang Li.

Akiko Kimura was already there, taking care of her older son. She nodded at the doctor and thanked him for taking care of Kouichi. Jiang Li accompanied the doctor and then, returned to the room.

"Kouji, write the names of all those boys" said Akiko. Her son did as he was told and gave the paper to his mother "I'll talk with their parents and show them the video"

"You should make some copies of it, madam" advised Xu "I can make them so if you lose the original, you'll have a few copies"

"Thank you" replied Akiko "You were the one who helped him, weren't you?"

"Yeah but it was nothing" said Xu, feeling embarrassed.

"Of course it was. You fought with all those boys and defeated them" said Akiko "Thanks a lot"

"It was nothing, madam" replied Xu "I should leave with Mr. Chang now, it's getting late"

"Yes, Yi Jie will stay here" said Jiang Li.

"Thanks again" said Akiko.

"You're welcome" said Xu. He said goodbye to everybody along with Fu Chang and left the shrine accompanied by Jiang Li and Sayuri.

Akiko watched Yi Jie with curiosity and apprehensiveness "Tell me, why didn't you want my son to know about your return?"

"Because I…….it's hard to explain" said Yi Jie, she hesitated in continue talking with Kouichi's mother "I don't know if I should discuss this with you"

"He loves you" said Akiko, she narrowed her eyes "But he's suffering because he feels that you're avoiding him"

"Well, I've been avoiding him but I have a good reason" said Yi Jie.

"Mom, maybe you shouldn't talk now, Kouichi's asleep" said Kouji.

"It's okay, she's worried" said Yi Jie.

"You found someone else" stated Akiko "Do you like that man, Fu Chang?"

"He's a very good friend but I don't love him" said Yi Jie, she sighed "I convinced him to come to Japan because I want him to meet Kouichi. He works at China's most prestigious academy of music and could help Kouichi to get a scholarship"

"I see" said Akiko, she raised an eyebrow "But you're not avoiding Kouichi because of your brother, he even saved my son"

"No, Xu doesn't have to do with that" said Yi Jie.

"I don't understand" said Akiko.

Yi Jie sighed "Well, it started when…………"

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

Kouichi Kimura woke up the next morning, he felt tired and his body was aching. He rubbed his eyes and looked around, his mother was sleeping peacefully on another bed. He smiled weakly, she was probably restless and he didn't want to wake her so he decided to stay on the bed.

Suddenly, someone opened the door slowly and a person came in. Kouichi raised an eyebrow and instead of seeing Sayuri or Jiang Li Miyahara, he saw Yi Jie.

The Chinese girl walked slowly towards him without making noise and smiled weakly when she realized that he was awake.

"Hi" she greeted.

She got a glare in response.

"Look, we must talk" said Yi Jie softly.

"I think everything is said" replied Kouichi icily. 

"No, you misunderstood everything" said Yi Jie.

"How can you see into my eyes after you talked with Sayuri about your dates and that Fu boy?" spat Kouichi.

"Fu is a friend" stated Yi Jie "About all those boys I've dated, they've become only good friends" 

"Stop acting" said Kouichi.

"You're not like this" said Yi Jie, a tear rolled down her cheek "You….I must explain you"

"Don't begin crying, it won't work with me anymore" said Kouichi coldly.

"Please, let me explain you" begged Yi Jie.

"You're not even my girlfriend so you don't have to give me explanations" said Kouichi "But that doesn't mean that you didn't have to tell me that you didn't like me anymore"

"Let me talk" begged Yi Jie.

"I can see that you followed your father's advice very well……" said Kouichi, he narrowed his eyes "Why did you ask me to kiss you at the airport? I don't get it. Did you want to play with me?"

"Of course not! I'm not that kind of person!" snapped Yi Jie.

"You've changed a lot" said Kouichi, he looked away and his voice softened "How ironic, it was me who helped you with that"

"I've only become stronger" said Yi Jie.

"You were playing with me. I thought that because we kissed at the airport, you felt something for me but you only wanted revenge, didn't you?" snapped Kouichi.

"Of course not!" said Yi Jie.

"I'm a fool because I loved you and I still do but I'll forget everything about you! Go back to Hong Kong!" spat Kouichi angrily.

"Y-You love me?" asked Yi Jie.

"Yeah……so? You don't love me back!" replied Kouichi.

"Can't you let me speak?" cried Yi Jie.

They heard a yawn. Akiko rubbed her eyes and glanced them, then, she got up and studied them quietly. "I think I shouldn't be here"

"Yi Jie is the one who must leave" stated Kouichi.

"We're at Jiang Li's house, she has all the right to stay here" said Akiko.

"Then, I'm leaving" said Kouichi and he removed the blankets and was about to get up when Yi Jie stepped back and turned around.

"No, stay here. I'll go with my brother" she said and left the room.

                                                                  ************************************

Like Akiko Kimura had promised, she spoke with the bullies' parents and showed them the video. Taeko Nakajima and his friends were severely punished by their parents by dissolving the gang and making them work to earn money in order to pay Akiko for the doctor's fees. The whole junior school knew about the incident and the bullies were soon despised by all the girls, especially by Kouichi's fans.

And after a few days of receiving all kind of treats from his admirers, the beginning of the Spring festival at the Miyahara Shrine arrived. 

Everything seemed happiness around the shrine and Kouichi had to mask his feelings by smiling at everyone but Yi Jie. He would not let her get close to him, not even after Akiko asked him to. So there he was, playing the piano with all the passion he had for his music, trying to forget, trying not to feel the pain of rejection and betrayal.

People had gathered around him, enjoying the melodies that he chose to play and clapping loudly once he was done with each melody. An emerald-eyed man became interested in Kouichi's talent and nodded at a certain amber-eyed girl, he walked towards Akiko and initiated a conversation with her.

Then, it was time for Sayuri's performance. Kouichi began playing the piano while enjoying the breeze of the night. He looked around and sighed after spotting Yi Jie, like every girl, she was wearing a kimono for the occasion. Yi Jie smiled after noticing that he was watching her so Kouichi hastily returned his gaze to the piano. Sayuri's voice, a very soft and melodic one for singing, filled the atmosphere with the lyrics of Dearest.

_It would be nice if we could put away and throw out_

_everything except what really mattered, but_

_reality is just cruel._

_In such times, _

_I see you laughing _

_whenever I close my eyes._

_Until the day I reach eternal sleep, that smiling face will_

_have to stay with me without fail._

_People are all sad, so_

_they go and forget, but--_

_For that which I should love,_

_For that which gives me love, I will do what I can_

_Back then, when we met,_

_It was all awkward._

_We went the long way, didn't we?_

_We got hurt, didn't we?_

_Until the day I reach eternal sleep, that smiling face will_

_Have to stay with me without fail._

_Back then, when we met, _

_It was all awkward._

_We went the long way, didn't we?_

_We got there in the end._

People began clapping once Sayuri finished the song and Kouichi stopped playing the piano. Jiang Li was very happy that people were enjoying the festival at the shrine. Kids, adults and even old people were at the Miyahara shrine, she was surprised when she spotted Kousei and Satomi Minamoto dancing with other couples. She giggled when she spotted Kouji and Sayuri talking below a cherry blossom tree. But then, she frowned after she saw her niece trying to get close to Kouichi.

"Please, let me talk with you!" begged Yi Jie for the millionth time. Kouichi walked away from her and went to the back of the shrine, only wanting to get further from Yi Jie. 

Once there, he sat on the grass and watched the pond for more than an hour. The full moon was reflected there and it was accompanied the petals of the cherry blossoms. Someone tapped his shoulder, thinking it was Yi Jie, he turned his head and he met a pair of amber eyes but they didn't belong to the Chinese girl.

"Xu" muttered Kouichi.

"Yeah……" replied the Chinese teenager and sat beside him.

"Thank you for beating the bullies and for recording everything" said Kouichi.

"You're welcome" replied Xu, he glanced the pond "Talk with Yi Jie"

"Why? Everything is clear, she doesn't love me back" said Kouichi.

"How do you know that?" asked Xu quietly.

"Because she's dated boys, she forgot me" replied Kouichi.

"So? She only dated three or four but none of them became special for her" said Xu, he sighed "She's become stronger because of you and she likes you a lot, she missed you a lot when she returned to my country"

"But she began avoiding me" replied Kouichi.

"Talk with her, she has her reasons" said Xu "Besides, you owe me one"

"I know" said Kouichi.

"And she wants you to go to Hong Kong in three years, once you graduate from high school" said Xu.

"What?" exclaimed Kouichi.

"That's why she brought Fu Chang, he's a respected musician that works for a Chinese academy of music, the most prestigious in my country" said Xu "I can tell you that he's impressed by your talent and he's talking with your mother"

"I see" said Kouichi, he sighed "Fine. I'll talk with her"

"Great" muttered Xu, he raised an eyebrow "I know that you two will end being a couple so I must warn you: don't kiss her a lot in my presence"

Kouichi laughed but watched Xu leave. The Chinese boy was really strange sometimes, just like his sister. But in someway he could understand him, Xu was only an overprotective brother. Those thoughts vanished once Yi Jie arrived and sat beside him.

"So, what do you want to tell me?" asked Kouichi softly.

"I want to explain you why I hadn't phoned you" said Yi Jie "Well, I began dating boys to know if my feelings for you were of friendship or love"

"I see" said Kouichi.

Yi Jie took a deep breath "But I always ended up comparing them with you and missing you. Besides, I felt uncomfortable with them even if they were nice and one of them was really attractive. He even kissed me"

"And you fell in love with him" stated Kouichi.

Yi Jie shook her head "No, it was more a faint touch of his lips. Anyways, I realized that I couldn't feel nothing for him nor for the other boys"

"Then, I don't understand why you began avoiding me" said Kouichi quietly.

"Because I felt ashamed of myself. Even if you're not my boyfriend, I felt that it had been wrong to date boys. I didn't want to hear your voice and feel ashamed, guilty, embarrassed after he kissed me…….I felt like if I had betrayed you so I felt bad about it and didn't have the courage to speak with you" said Yi Jie  
"I see" said Kouichi, he nodded "I think I can understand that"

"But I promised you that I'd return once my mom made up with my dad" said Yi Jie, she grinned "They've remarried and my grandmother couldn't stop them. My grandpa was very happy and he helped me to convince Fu to come and listen to your music"

Kouichi grinned "Xu told me about that"

"Well, I……did you really mean what you told me? Do you love me?" asked Yi Jie.

"Yes, I love you" said Kouichi. He expected Yi Jie to sigh or frown but a smile appeared on her face.

"I like Spring a lot" she said and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Why?" asked Kouichi.

"Because it's a very romantic season" said Yi Jie softly, she felt an arm around her "I missed you a lot"

"I also missed you" said Kouichi.

"I know" said Yi Jie, she glanced him "Don't forget this night because this is the night in which you know how much you mean for me"

"What do you mean?" asked Kouichi.

"I love you too" replied Yi Jie.

Kouichi widened his eyes and glanced her "Are you lying or are you telling me the truth?"

Yi Jie giggled but she raised her head and glanced him before speaking "I love you"  
"R-Really?" stuttered Kouichi.

"Yeah……" replied Yi Jie.

"I'm sorry for being stubborn and not letting you talk with me" said Kouichi.

"Don't worry, you were hurt" said Yi Jie, caressing his cheek and then, she smirked "But I'll forgive you if you kiss me"

"If that's how you'll ask me to kiss you, I'll try to be very stubborn" said Kouichi jokingly.

"And tomorrow, we can begin planning a few pranks on Nakajima" said Yi Jie.

"Don't forget Sugiyama, we can help Rei, Ai and Youko" said Kouichi.

"Right. We'll take care of her too" said Yi Jie.

"You know, you're right: Spring is a very romantic season" said Kouichi, he grinned and kissed her.

Not so far, a black-haired boy was watching them and even though he wasn't used to see his sister kissing someone, he ended up smiling. After all, a few kisses and hugs wouldn't hurt and if she was happy, he would not complain. _'Kouichi Kimura, the boy who changed my family's life……..I'm happy that you met him, Yi Jie. He's a good boy and you deserve each other'_

He turned around and walked away slowly, his figure getting lost in the darkness of the night. Meanwhile, Yi Jie and Kouichi were hugging each other in front of the pond, watching their reflection on it and having as a witness of that moment, a silver moon.

_                                                              Back then, when we met, _

_                                                                   It was all awkward._

_                                                        We went the long way, didn't we?_

_                                                               We got there in the end._

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Hmm…..I forgot, I also don't own the song Dearest by Ayumi Hamasaki, that's the song for the third ending of Inuyasha. Okay, now I'm really done with Kouichi and Yi Jie. I wrote that chapter because Kouichi-kun didn't appear since the beginning of my story. He deserves a special place and I was in the mood. Now, I don't really know about my story but it could end in chapter 22 or 23. Hopefully, it'll end in chapter 23 because I want to write about Kouji and Sayuri having a cute date. Oh, yeah, Kouichi was acting like that because I had the impression that he was a bit depressive in the show. I mean, when he regretted all the things he did as Duskmon. Now, let's return to the happy Kouichi in my next chapter. 

By the way, don't expect me to update sooner because even if I've got ideas, it's not easy to organize them. Besides, the story is ending and I always have doubt about the end. Hopefully, I'll have time but I'm not sure of that.  

Misaki: Hi. Thanks for R&R. Hehehe. Well, I was doubting if it was kawaii or not but once I read the reviews…..I could see that everybody liked it. I really wanted to describe the kiss, it had to be something very special and sweet. By the way, do you write too? It seems to me since you wrote about the psychological thing and it seems that you have some experience. Anyways, thanks for pointing out my mistakes, I'll try to be more careful but I'm not sure if I'd like to read my story backwards. And Megumi, she won't die because it'd be somehow irrational but since I know a few girls that are like her, I'll make her suffer. The last chapter will probably show what I have prepared for her and Junko, but of course, Megumi gets the worst punishment. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA. By the way, if last chapter was your favorite, I'll have to use all my brain and inspiration for the final of my story. The scenery will be kawaii!!! At least where the kawaiiness begins and it'll end in that same scenery……It must be kawaii. I'd act weird but believe me, I've been acting weirder than usual and I'm trying to control myself because I'm scaring everyone. Oh yeah, I didn't update sooner because I wasn't very inspired and that is amazingly **_ironic_** ***author blushes***. I'll leave that to your imagination. See you!!! =D

Izumi-Star: Hi. Thanks for R&R. Hehe. Don't worry, this girl understands. I also loved chapter 19. What do you think of this one? In chapter 19, I was really inspired and in a tragic humor. I really liked it. About chapter 20, it was cute, I suppose but I still prefer chapter 19, I think that one had more description. Hehe. Hopefully, I'll send you an e-mail but I don't know what topic I should choose. See you!!! =D

Digifan34: Hi. Thanks for R&R. Hehe. Gee…..I see that everyone really liked it but for some strange reason I found chapter 19 cuter. But I only delayed in updating 2 weeks, not a month. You're lucky that I didn't delay a year ***cough*** I haven't updated one of my stories since April but it's due to a writer's block, I need help. Anyways, I also delayed because I didn't know how to describe a kiss. I wanted it to be special and kawaii. Hehe. Well, about the twins, they're adorable….who couldn't like them? I like them a lot!!! They're awesome! Well, I must stop before I begin with my weirdness. See you!!! =D

OmnicromXR: Hi. Thanks for R&R. Hehe. Five God Dragon on Megumi, that's not a bad idea but I'm already planning what to do with her. ***evil grin*** By the way, kawaii chapters aren't my specialty but if you say that I'm good at those, thanks a lot. And about the twins, I can't forget the revenge topic, that's why I was writing like that but I'll try to remember your comments. See you!!! =D

Darkened Loner: Hi. Thanks for R&R. Hehe. You didn't have to kiss the cement but I'm really glad that you liked the chapter. I checked my e-mail recently and read your reviews. Well, I've got a writer's block with Spring meets Winter and those poems, I wrote them two years ago, I think, when I was somewhat infatuated with a green-eyed boy. After analyzing many things, I discovered that I didn't like him as much as I thought, I was blinded by many factors so I'm glad that he never liked me back; maybe I never really liked him to begin with, I just pitied him or something like that due to many things and felt identified with a few of his points of views. Now, I like someone else, someone who doesn't talk to me because he needs something like copy with his homework or help to study. This boy, this sophomore is my friend and he likes me by who I am. He's always there for me and cares for me……but I'm unlucky in some way because he doesn't like me back and he'll leave once he finishes high school. Weeks ago I would think that he liked me back but I've realized that he only sees me as a very close friend because we've got a lot of things in common and shared many important things. It makes me both sad and happy. Well, sorry for telling you this, you might not want to read something about my life but I wanted to explain about those poems. Hope you liked this chapter too. See you!!! =D

Evil Tenshi: Hi. Thanks for R&R. Hehe. Hey, cheer up, I haven't updated one of my stories for almost a year!…..And many people want to kill me because of that but a writer's block is not something funny. And I really hope you get better, I know about sore throats and that's not funny either. About Kouichi-kun……he's so cute! I had to imagine something like that! Besides, that was funny! And the Valentine's Day thing, I don't see much kawaiiness but everyone does……..***cries of happiness in anime style*** I thought it'd be simple but if you like it…..that's okay with me. And if that makes you dream…..I'm happy, it means that I'm a good writer. But remember, dreams are something that can come true when you least expect………See you!!! =D 

Bellmandy: Hi. Thanks for R&R. Well, thanks for reading it and liking it. Hehe. I'll try to update soon but I can promise you that. See you!!! =D

Kana: Hi. Thanks for R&R. Hehe. You also liked it, that's great. But I can't kill Megumi, I can make her suffer though. Yi Jie's back so don't worry. I hope you liked the chapter. Expect kawaiiness for the last chapter, maybe the 23rd. I don't know, it depends on the next chapter. See you!!! =D

SnowstarLCresent: Hi. Thanks for the e-mail. I understand, my computer also used to do things like that but now it's better. Don't worry and thanks for liking the story, I hope you continue reading. See you!!!=D

~~~Li Kasumi


	22. To argue or not to argue

Hi. I hope you're okay. Well, here's the 22nd chapter of my story. It'll depend on this chapter if I'll finish my story in the next chapter or in chapter 25. I'm starting to write this on March 17th and right now, I'm sad, disappointed and somehow furious. 

Well, let's start with usual thing. Sorry, if the chapter starts somehow boring but it was necessary.

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon nor its characters. I only own my original characters (Believe me, if I owned them, the show would've been longer and there would've been 2 more girls and more characters)

_'Italics'_- thoughts

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

**_                                                          THE LONEWOLF MEETS HIS MATCH_**

By Li Kasumi

On a dark dimension, a creature was watching two teenagers in a crystal ball in a vain attempt to escape from his monotonous routine. However, his window to the real word was closed when his energy weakened.

He looked around, there was nothing but emptiness. Nevertheless, he was already used to it. His life had always been a dark void. 

Oh, how used he was to loneliness. But in other time, where men used to fight for their people and battles were a common thing, he would often be accompanied by his apprentices and allies.

Ages ago, he lived in a peaceful village ruled by a wise man named Hideaki Matsuzawa. The ruler was respected and admired by everyone for his kindness and wisdom, there was no soul in the village who disliked him. Unfortunately, his sons didn't inherit their father's wisdom and compassion for people, they often argued about who would rule the village once he died.

The wise ruler preferred not to tell anything, he had secretly decided who'd be his successor, an orphan brought up by him: Sen Otsuki.

Hideaki Matsuzawa had taken care of Sen Otsuki since he was five and he also taught him all he knew. Sen showed great interest in everything that was taught to him. He soon learned about medicine, combats, strategy, artifacts and sorcery.

However, instead of being as appreciated and respected as Hideaki Matsuzawa, Sen soon won the envy and fear from many of the villagers and that was because he was a close person to the ruler and he practiced sorcery. Sen hardly talked with someone else besides his tutor and his sons so people began thinking that he thought he was superior to them. The truth was that he was too shy and scared of making mistakes in front of them that he preferred to keep studying and experimenting. Anyways, he deeply wanted to befriend someone and that wish didn't go unnoticed by his tutor.

One day, a small group of travelers arrived to the village. One of them soon caught the men's attention, a pretty woman named Aki Sakamoto. She was accompanied by a few friends and one of them was Satoshi Miyahara. Aki visited Hideaki Matsuzawa and it was thanks to him that she met Sen Otsuki.

She told the ruler that a lot of people at her village were dying due to a strange illness and she needed his help. Matsuzawa accepted to help her and asked Sen to travel with her and investigate about that illness. The sorcerer obeyed without hesitation and prepared everything for the departure.

After arriving to Aki's village, he immediately began investigating the causes of the illness and after gathering many medicinal herbs with Satoshi's help, he prepared the cure. The villagers and especially Aki, whose father had been agonizing, thanked him and showed him their appreciation.

For once in his life, Sen Otsuki felt accepted but his happiness soon vanished, he had to return to his village. He really wanted to stay so he made many excuses, thinking that a few days more wouldn't hurt anyone. In those few days he stayed at that village, he began liking Aki not only by her beauty but also by her personality.

Nevertheless, one night, she asked him to return because his tutor was in a great danger. Sen, thinking that that wasn't the real reason, left feeling disappointed.

But when he went back to his village, he was soon told that Tsubasa, the ruler's youngest son, had killed his own father and brother in order to rule the village and escaped to avoid being punished. With the ruler's death, there was nothing left there for Sen Otsuki so after making some arrangements, he left and began traveling.

_'However, life was still hard'_

~*~*~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Are you sure you're okay? You look quite pale" said Yi Jie.

Her cousin nodded "I'm only tired"

Sayuri Miyahara yawned and proceeded to go to her room with a slow pace, stumbling more than once in the way. Once there, she threw herself onto her bed, she knew what was coming next, she was going to go to that realm and face the sorcerer once more. She wasn't wrong, as soon as her eyes finally closed, she was there, standing before him.

"Good afternoon, Miyahara" greeted Otsuki.

Sayuri looked around and frowned "What are you planning?"

"Nothing…….yet" replied Otsuki.

"So you're out of ideas" said Sayuri mockingly "That's great"

The sorcerer shook his head "I am merely bored with the routine"

"So I must accompany you because you're bored. Well, if you're not going to attack me or something, I won't complain" said Sayuri.

"I never said that I wouldn't attack you, Miyahara" replied Sen Otsuki.

"Then, why aren't you attacking me now? Not that I'd like that but I don't understand what you want" said Sayuri.

"Tell me, why aren't you Minamoto's girlfriend yet?" asked Otsuki.

"What?" exclaimed Sayuri with a slight blush in her cheeks.

"You heard me" said Otsuki.

"That's none of your business!" snapped Sayuri.

"I think he likes you back" commented Otsuki, ignoring Sayuri's glare "He's asked you out many times and he's even kissed you, that's why I don't understand why he's being so coward"

"Hey! You don't have the right to judge him!" snapped Sayuri.

"But you care about that, don't you?" mocked Otsuki. Sayuri flinched "I knew it"

"Kouji is……I know he cares for me but maybe he thinks that's something mushy or needless" replied Sayuri, she frowned "Besides, I don't have to give you explanations about my life"

"So I wasn't wrong, you do want him to ask you that" said Otsuki, he laughed mockingly "So Sayuri Miyahara does have a heart after all"

"You also have one" spat Sayuri.

Sen Otsuki clapped and appeared immediately before her. He seized Sayuri by her shoulders and bent to face her with a vague expression.

"I'm glad you noticed that" he said and released her.

"Why don't you let me return to my world? You have no use for me" said Sayuri.

"I'm bored and I'd like to talk" said Otsuki.

"That's something new for me" said Sayuri sarcastically.

"I know" said Otsuki "But we are too alike"

"We have nothing in common! How can you say that?" snapped Sayuri, feeling offended.

"Both know this world" said Otsuki.

"Well, I guess you're right in that" said Sayuri.

"Both have experienced the bitter taste of rejection from people" said Otsuki.

"Yeah……" said Sayuri.

"Both know very well the meaning of loneliness" continued Otsuki.

"Yeah……" said Sayuri.

"Both are jealous people" said Otsuki.

"Hmm……I guess you're right again" admitted Sayuri, remembering her rivalry with Megumi Sugiyama.

"…..and both have experienced the joys of love" said Otsuki.

Sayuri nodded "Yeah……."

"Then, you can understand why I say that we're too alike" said Otsuki "My life was very hard, Miyahara"

Sayuri frowned "You were a sorcerer, you probably controlled people and-"

"No" interrupted Otsuki "People always hated me for being different. I was a feared sorcerer even if I would help them, cure them, protect them………"

"You were kind" stated Sayuri softly.

Sen Otsuki nodded "But still people always rejected me. Aki was my first friend and the first person to understand me after my tutor died"

**_~~~FLASHBACK~~~_**

"Are you leaving again, Sen?" asked a blue-haired woman.

"Yeah……now that the villagers know that I'm a sorcerer, they've begun glancing me with distrust and fear" replied the chestnut-haired man.

"Hmm…….but……..I want you to stay" said Aki.

Sen turned to see her "Why?"

"Because I think you're a kind man and if you give them a chance, I know they'll trust you again" replied Aki.

"I don't know, Miss Sakamoto" said Sen "What makes you think that?"

"Do you remember when you came for the first time to my village?" asked Aki, Sen nodded "Then, you must remember that I asked you to leave"

"Right it was when…….How did you know about my tutor's murder? Did Tsubasa tell you something? Did you know about his plans?" demanded Sen.

"Of course not! I never spoke with him!" replied Aki loudly, she frowned but then sighed "I am a seer and I had a vision the same night I asked you to leave"

"A seer……why? Of course! That makes sense" said Sen.

"……and I'm also a sorceress" said Aki.

"But then, if you're a sorceress and a seer, how come the villagers don't distrust you?" asked Sen Otsuki.

"I'm not a very powerful sorceress but I'm good at telling fortunes. I began making them favors and after some years, they began trusting me" said Aki softly "They realized that I'd never harm them and that my abilities could be helpful so they trust in me"

"I see" said Sen.

"I know that you may feel disappointed but they'll like you again" said Aki, she placed a hand on his shoulder "Stay a bit more"

"Hmm……I don't know, Miss Sakamoto" replied Sen.

"Call me Aki. Miss Sakamoto is too formal and makes me feel older than I am" said Aki.

"Sure, Aki" replied Sen with a grin.

"Then we're friends" stated Aki, she got closer and smiled at him.

"Friends? Aren't you joking? I mean, you aren't lying, right?" said Sen with uncertainty.

"Of course not" said Aki, taking his hand and dragging him "Come on. You need public relations so we've got work to do"

**_~~~END OF FLASHBACK~~~_**

"Aki was a kind woman, she didn't deserve to die" said Sen Otsuki.

"But why didn't you curse her murderer instead of my ancestor?" asked Sayuri.

"Because Aki stabbed him before she died…….Tsubasa Matsuzawa died before I could kill him" replied the sorcerer bitterly.

"I see but you still didn't have the right to curse my ancestor" said Sayuri.

"He knew that Aki was going to leave and attack Tsubasa and he didn't tell me! He said that Aki asked him not to tell him and that he obeyed! He let her go!" spat Otsuki angrily.

"B-But…..but you still didn't have to curse him! Didn't you think that Aki wouldn't have wanted that?" snapped Sayuri.

"She's dead! Why would she care for Satoshi?" snapped back Otsuki.

"So? Kouji told me that Aki didn't agree with that!" spat Sayuri.

"What? How? Why did he meet her?" demanded the sorcerer.

"He had a dream and met her. She told him that she was worried for you and that you shouldn't have cursed Satoshi" replied Sayuri "And that you were blinded by rage and jealousy!"

"S-She's worried for me?" asked Otsuki, his voice mellowed "She cares for me……even if she's dead….she still cares…….."

"Yeah……" said Sayuri, feeling touched by the sudden change of attitude.

"T-Tell me more" pleaded the sorcerer "I need to know what she said"

"Kouji told me that she gave him the katana to help me and that Satoshi was her apprentice or something like that" replied Sayuri, she took a deep breath "She said that a quarter of my life was ending and she told Kouji that he should choose one path"

The sorcerer stepped back and said more to himself "A path…..she must mean…..but if she said that, then he must……"

Sayuri frowned "What? What should he do?"

"He……but it's impossible, he can't……" said Sen Otsuki quietly "But how? I don't understand"

"What are you talking about? Is something wrong with Kouji?" demanded Sayuri.

"What did she tell him? Did she mention something about life and death?" asked Otsuki.

"What? What do you mean by that?" demanded Sayuri, she clutched the sorcerer's hood "Tell me! Is he in danger?"

"Why don't you ask him?" suggested Sen Otsuki thoughtfully "Aki spoke about your curse and the way to break it with him, not with me. _'Your'_ Kouji is hiding something very important from you"

He clapped and his realm vanished slowly before Sayuri could have the chance to open her mouth. She rubbed her eyes and found herself at her room but she was covered by a blanket and her mother was watching her worriedly.

"Are you okay?" asked Jiang Li.

"Yes, I'm fine" replied Sayuri, she yawned "What time is it?"

"Eight o'clock" said Jiang Li, she sighed in relief "You were asleep for two hours"

"I see" said Sayuri, she yawned again and rubbed her eyes "I must see Kouji"

"Are you nuts? Look at yourself!" exclaimed Jiang Li "What if you faint? You can wait to see him tomorrow!"

Sayuri frowned but she nodded "Fine. I'll talk with him tomorrow"

"Besides, you're on holidays" said Jiang Li, she nodded understandingly "I know that you love him but you should think first in yourself"

"Love him? Well, I……" said Sayuri, she then murmured something.

"What's wrong?" asked Jiang Li.

"Sen Otsuki told me something that's true, I'm not Kouji's girlfriend even if we've been dating" said Sayuri.

"Don't worry for that, he must have his reasons" said Jiang Li.

Sayuri sighed "He might think that's mushy but I'd really like him to ask me that" 

"Then, why don't you tell him how you feel?" suggested Jiang Li.

Sayuri shook her head immediately, looking horrified by the comment "I'd never do that! It's not right for a girl to ask something like that to a boy! It has to be the other way around!"

Jiang Li laughed "Come on. We're on the 21st century!"

"But it's more……romantic" replied Sayuri, blushing of embarrassment.

Her mother laughed even more "I see. So that's why you haven't told him"

"Don't made fun of me, Mom. I doubt that you proposed Dad or told him that you loved him first" said Sayuri.

"To tell you the truth, your father was very shy and he _did_ delay in asking me out. I was beginning to think that he'd never ask me out" said Jiang Li, Sayuri blinked "But he did and in a very original way"

"But still, that doesn't tell me what I should do" said Sayuri.

"Hmm……why don't you tell Kouichi?" suggested Jiang Li.

"What? No way!" exclaimed Sayuri.

Jiang Li raised an eyebrow "Why not? They're twins and Kouichi could tell Kouji that you'd like to be his girlfriend" 

"Kouichi would make fun of me all his life! He won't miss the chance to remind me that I once needed his help!" said Sayuri.

"I think you're exaggerating" said Jiang Li.

"I'm not. He's not as nice as you think" said Sayuri.

"But he could help you" insisted Jiang Li.

"I'd rather die" said Sayuri.

Jiang Li let out a sigh of exasperation "Fine"

_'Then, it's all up to me'_

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

A raven-haired girl was glancing a blue-haired boy while waiting for his reply. Her glance was one of clear worry and curiosity, she really wanted to know what Kouji was thinking.

"…..Hmm……it's true, Otsuki didn't lie, I must choose between life and death" said the boy while glancing the grass where both were sat.

"What? And why didn't you tell me?" demanded Sayuri.

"Because I didn't want you to worry" replied Kouji softly.

"Don't you get it? I don't want you to get hurt!" said Sayuri, her eyes narrowed "That sorcerer, he was very selfish, he should have never cursed my family"

"I know but we can't change that" said Kouji.

"Was that all she said? Choose between life and death?" asked Sayuri.

"She also said that my choice wouldn't be what it seems and that time's running" replied Kouji.

"That's confusing" said Sayuri.

"Yeah but it doesn't matter, I'll help you" said Kouji.

"How can you say that?" snapped Sayuri.

"Because you're in danger" replied Kouji.

"So? You don't have to be involved in this! What if something happens to you?" said Sayuri.

"That'd be my problem" said Kouji in a colder tone.

"Of course not" replied Sayuri.

"Why can't you understand me? I don't like to do nothing while you're in danger!" spat Kouji.

"Well, I don't want to see you in pain again! You could get yourself killed!" spat back Sayuri.

"I have a katana and I know how to use it!" snapped Kouji.

"But you lost it last time!" snapped back Sayuri.

"It won't happen again! Why don't you have faith in me?" snapped Kouji.

"Because you can be really stubborn!" said Sayuri.

"How sweet!" mocked Kouichi, who had just arrived to the back of the shrine with Yi Jie "They're having their first fight as a couple!"

"Shut up! I'm not in the mood to stand your jokes!" said Sayuri.

"Hey! It was only a joke! You don't have to be so rude with Kouichi!" reproached Yi Jie.

Sayuri crossed her arms and said nothing, she stood up and walked away.

"What happened?" asked Kouichi.

"We were arguing" replied Kouji.

Kouichi snorted "I already know that. But why were you two arguing?"

"You wouldn't understand" said Kouji.

Yi Jie raised an eyebrow "Wouldn't it be because Sayuri wants you to ask her to be your girlfriend?"

Kouichi laughed "Come on. I don't think that she'd make a fuss over something like that"

"But she spoke about that with my aunt" said Yi Jie, she sighed "In fact, auntie saw her so disappointed that she asked me to tell you that"

"She…….she really cares about that? I thought that she didn't, that's why I never asked her to be my girlfriend" said Kouji.

"I never thought that Sayuri would care so much about that" said Kouichi, he got closer to his twin "Was that why you were arguing with her?"

"Well, we……" started Kouji, he meditated his answer for a moment "……something like that"

"Then, ask her to be your girlfriend" said Yi Jie.

"I'll do that once she calms down" said Kouji, he glanced Kouichi "What were you doing?"

"We were watching a movie" replied his twin "Why?"

"Liar" said Kouji with a smirk "Your lips have lipstick"

Both Kouichi and Yi Jie blushed but it was the Chinese girl who replied "We were also kissing, so? It's not like you haven't kissed my cousin"

It was Kouji's turn to blush "Well, I…..you've been spending too much time with my brother"

"Of course. She's my girlfriend" said Kouichi and he kissed Yi Jie on the cheek.

"And he's very sweet and cute" said Yi Jie, she kissed Kouichi on the cheek "And the best boyfriend"

"And you're the most beautiful girl, I'm very lucky" said Kouichi.

Kouji rolled his eyes and stood up "I'm leaving, you're making me sick with all your fluffiness" 

"Bye" said Kouichi. 

His brother left while murmuring things like "I hope I won't become like him" or "I wonder why they didn't delay a bit more in becoming an item"

Once he was gone, Kouichi and Yi Jie laughed. Kouichi shrugged "I told you that it was a good idea to act so fluffy in front of him"

"I guess" replied Yi Jie, she giggled "Hopefully, he's already looking for Sayuri. Our act was convincing, thanks for your help"

"Yeah……" said Kouichi "Well, let's go back. We need more copies of that photos"

"Yup. My big brother can be really nice if he wants" said Yi Jie "Wait 'til Nakajima sees them. I'm sure he'll love them"

"And we've got to convince Michihiko to publish them in the newspaper" said Kouichi and he giggled "I don't think that'll be hard if we ask Rei to convince him, he has a crush on her"

"Yup. And I wonder if we could do something to Megumi Sugiyama too" said Yi Jie.

"That wouldn't be a bad idea" said Kouichi with a smirk.

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

"But why not?" whined Megumi for the millionth time.

"Look, I've got enough troubles because of them" replied Taeko Nakajima looking very annoyed "Come on, Megumi. There are plenty of boys out there, waiting for you to look at them"

"Please, Taeko. I really need your help" begged the brunette.

"They'll have their revenge on me so don't count with me" said Taeko Nakajima.

"Fine!" spat Megumi and she walked away from him.

"Bye!" called Taeko Nakajima.

The bully looked at his surroundings and sighed at the view: nothing but work to do. He still had to go to more houses and cut the grass, then, he'd have to clean his room and if he wasn't too tired, do his homework. After all, classes would start in a few days.

_'Megumi can bug them by herself, she knows very well how to do that'_

Sighing again, he continued cutting the grass of his neighbor, wishing that he had never bullied Kouichi nor met Yi Jie's big brother.

                                                        ********************************

"Thank you!" said Jiang Li cheerfully while hugging her niece.

"You're welcome, auntie" replied Yi Jie.

"And thanks to you too!" said Jiang Li.

"You're welcome, Madam" said Kouichi.

"But I never thought that my daughter would reproach Kouji for that. She's very stubborn and it seemed that she preferred to wait" said Jiang Li.

"Well, she reproached him and she was very upset" said Kouichi.

"I'm sure that when she returns, she'll be very happy and dreamy" said Yi Jie.

Suddenly, Sayuri came into the kitchen with a bored expression on her face. Jiang Li, Yi Jie and Kouichi shared a puzzled look and glanced Sayuri with curiosity while she looked for food in the refrigerator.

"Hmm……Sayuri, what are you doing?" asked Yi Jie.

Her cousin closed the refrigerator and turned to see her "I'm hungry and I wanted something to eat"

"Don't you want to tell us something?" asked Jiang Li.

"Hmm…..I should finish my homework" said Sayuri.

"That's all?" asked Yi Jie.

"Isn't there something that involves Kouji?" asked Kouichi.

The blue-haired boy soon regretted his words for Sayuri glared him and spoke with a very cold voice "Your brother is the most stubborn boy I've ever met. Tell him that I don't want to see him until he changes his mind"

Having said that, she turned around and walked away hastily. 

Jiang Li Miyahara frowned and glanced Kouichi "But I don't get it. I'm completely sure that your brother loves her"

"He does. I thought he'd go to look for her" replied the boy.

"Come on, auntie. Maybe he wants to surprise her" said Yi Jie.

"Yi Jie could be right. What if he asks her that at a more romantic place?" said Kouichi.

"Hmm….that could be the reason" said Jiang Li.

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

"……so she asked me not to intervene" said Kouji.

"So that's the real reason" said Jiang Li, the teenager nodded.

"I see" said Jiang Li, she smiled warmly "Why don't you try to understand her a bit?"

"But I'm worried" replied Kouji.

"She's also worried. She cares for you a lot and she doesn't want you to risk your life" said Jiang Li.

"But I want to protect her and she won't let me" said Kouji.

"I know but we can't force her to let you help her. Anyways, you can try to convince her slowly" said Jiang Li "Show her that you care for her a lot"

"Hmm……maybe you're right" said Kouji "But I've showed her many times how much I care for her"

"I know but I think she wants something that doesn't involve her curse" said Jiang Li.

"So I should act a bit like Kouichi? Give her things?" asked Kouji with a not very convinced expression.

"That would be nice" said Jiang Li "Even if she rarely shows it, my daughter also has dreams"

"Hmm……then, I have work to do" said Kouji.

"Yeah" agreed Jiang Li.

"Do you think a stuffed animal would be nice?" asked Kouji.

"Of course! She loves them since she was a child!" said Jiang Li.

"Hmm……I already gave her a kitten" said Kouji.

"Why don't you give her a wolf?" suggested Jiang Li.

"A wolf? That's not a bad suggestion, she calls me lonewolf" said Kouji "A wolf……hmm……what if she calls it Kouji?"

"That'd be funny and sweet" said Jiang Li.

"I guess" said Kouji with a grin.

"Then, I'll go and tell her what you've decided" said Jiang Li "At least let her think that she won for this time"

"You're good at giving advice, Madam" said Kouji, he sighed "Fine. I'll go to downtown"

"And I'll talk with Sayuri" said Jiang Li.

"I'll see you later" said Kouji.

"See you!" replied Jiang Li while watching him leave. _'Now, I've got to talk with another stubborn teenager'_

                                                             ****************************************

"……so he said that if you don't want him to intervene, he won't" said Jiang Li.

"Really? That's great" said Sayuri.

"And I think that he'll give you something" said Jiang Li.

"What is it?" asked Sayuri.

"He'll come later" said Jiang Li "Why don't you change your clothes?"

"Sure!" exclaimed Sayuri.

She walked towards her closet and began choosing her clothes. Jiang Li merely watched and tried not to giggle, her daughter could be really naïve. 

"I think I'll wear this" announced Sayuri while holding a blue Chinese blouse and some jeans.

"Loosen your hair" reminded Jiang Li.

"Yeah" agreed Sayuri.

"I'll be waiting for Kouji" said Jiang Li.

"Sure" said Sayuri.

"Hurry up!" said Jiang Li and she left her daughter's room.

She went to the kitchen and took the phone, then, she dialed a number. She grinned after hearing a friend's voice and began talking cheerfully.

"…….it'll be soon, I'm sure. He'll give her a stuffed wolf" she said.

"Really? That doesn't surprise me" replied Akiko "Sayuri likes calling him 'lonewolf' when she wants to bug him"

"We'll be family, wouldn't that be nice?" said Jiang Li.

"Of course! I hope he arrives soon to the shrine" said Akiko.

"So do I" said Jiang Li, she heard something "I think he's knocking the door, I'll phone you later!"

"Sure!" replied Akiko.

Jiang Li hung up the phone and went to answer the door. It was Kouji and he was holding a gift.

"So, what happened?" asked the teenager.

"She's waiting for you! Come on!" said Jiang Li, dragging him to Sayuri's room.

She knocked the door and after getting a reply, she entered with Kouji. Sayuri greeted them with a smile and she approached slowly.

"Hi" she said.

"Hi" replied Kouji, he handed her the gift "This is for you"

"Thanks" replied Sayuri.

"I think I'll leave you alone" interrupted Jiang Li.

"It's not necessary, I'd like to go to a park with Sayuri" said Kouji.

"Then, I'll leave the room with you" said Jiang Li.

They left the room and after Sayuri closed the door, she walked with Kouji, hugging her gift and smiling.

"You look happier today" pointed out Kouji.

"Well, you agreed with me and you've given me this" said Sayuri.

"I never thought that you could act like a spoiled brat" said Kouji.

"Hmm……sorry. I overreacted" said Sayuri softly "But I'm worried for you, that's all"

"I'm also worried for you, small lily" said Kouji, he grinned "But let's enjoy our lives and forget about your curse for a while"

"I guess you're right" said Sayuri "Where are we going?"

Kouji chuckled "You'll see"

                                                                *****************************

"This place is beautiful" said Sayuri.

"I was sure that you'd like it" said Kouji. _'I must thank Dad for suggesting me this place'_

They were at a park on the outskirts of Shibuya. It was a big place surrounded by trees and there was a lake in the center. Like other couples, they were on a small boat and it was Kouji who rowed to get a bit far from people.

Both teenagers admired the setting sun and smiled while glancing a sky decorated by purple and pink shades that expanded to the horizon. 

A soft breeze would often made leaves fell from the trees but that was a common spectacle in spring. After all, the season of renaissance was one where many things would often be in movement.

"Why don't you open your gift?" asked Kouji.

Sayuri nodded and began unwrapping the box. Her hazel eyes widened in surprised and joy when she saw it: a stuffed wolf.

"It's so cute!"

Kouji chuckled "But you're not going to name it Kouji, will you?"

Sayuri hugged the stuffed animal tightly and smirked "Why not?"

Kouji groaned "Because I'm the only Kouji you can kiss and hug"

Sayuri giggled "Fine. I'll think in other name"

Kouji grinned "I'm glad"

He inched forward and caressed her cheek. His sapphire blue eyes met Sayuri's hazel ones for a second and then, they were softly closed. A soft breeze blew over the place and their lips met once again under the peaceful sky.

Both teenagers opened their eyes at the same time and smiled at each other. Another soft breeze blew and more leaves fell from the trees just to fall into the crystalline lake.

Finally, Sayuri broke the silence "I'd like to return here soon"

Kouji nodded "You will"

Both watched the sun disappear in the horizon while dark blue was already filling into the once purple and pink sky.

Kouji took a deep breath

"Sayuri, I brought you here because I want to ask you something"

However, he never had the chance to make his request for Sayuri shut her eyes and fell backwards, making the wooden boat shake slightly.

Kouji widened his eyes "Are you okay?"

Like other times, Sayuri didn't reply. Her motionless body lied in the boat like it had done on the floor many times before and it continued immobile even after Kouji shook her.

Meanwhile, Sen Otsuki was glancing Sayuri with curiosity. He waited for an answer while she struggled against her weariness.

"I-I….am very tired" she admitted.

"That's because I need your energy" explained the sorcerer "Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to keep my powers"

"Cynic" said Sayuri, she stumbled "But….if you said that you were so kind in the past, I don't understand how you became such a cruel person"

"I became cruel because of how people treated me" said Otsuki bitterly "Anyways, I want to know what Kouji told you"

"He told me that Aki told him that he must choose between life and death, just like you said" replied Sayuri weakly, she fell to the floor.

The sorcerer walked towards her and kneeled beside her "What else did he told you?"

Sayuri looked up sharply "That his choice won't be what it seems"

Sen Otsuki nodded and checked her pulse "I took a lot of your energy, didn't I? But it's worrying me what Aki told him, I never thought that this would happen"

Sayuri closed her eyes "What do you mean?"

The sorcerer sighed "We might not share much time from now on, Sayuri Miyahara"

The raven-haired girl opened her eyes and raised an eyebrow "I don't get it"

Sen Otsuki sighed "Neither do I"

Sayuri didn't know if she wanted to hit him or reproach him for confusing her but she snorted "So the wise sorcerer doesn't know an answer, that's something new"

Otsuki nodded in agreement "I know. Would you like to know something? You're like Satoshi, he was sometimes sarcastic"

**_~~~FLASHBACK~~~_**

"So you won't tell her because of that" said a black-haired boy, he snorted "The brave sorcerer can't do something that simple because he's scared"

"Hey! It's not as easy as you think!" replied Sen.

"But I'm sure that she loves you back!" said Satoshi.

"But what if you're wrong?" asked Sen "I can't tell her how I feel if she loves someone else"

"Describe her" said Satoshi while looking to his right.

"What?" asked Sen.

"You heard me. Describe her" said Satoshi.

Sen Otsuki nodded "Well, Aki's the most beautiful woman I've ever met but she's also courageous, smart, kind, sweet, calm, a great fighter and friend and……..and her eyes are so beautiful that when I gaze into them, I feel like if I were being taken to heaven"

Satoshi giggled "And you're also a poet…..why are you so perfect?"

"Is that really how you feel about me?" interrupted a soft voice.

Sen Otsuki turned to see a long-haired woman walking towards with a lop-sided grin on her face. He heard some giggles coming from Satoshi's side, the teenager had set up everything and he had fallen right into his trap.

"You're a chicken so I brought mistress Aki and hid her before you arrived" explained the teenager.

"I'm so gonna kill you, Satoshi Miyahara!" said Sen.

"You won't, Sen" said Aki, the sorcerer turned to see her "At least not until he finishes his training with me and you answer my question"

Sen Otsuki blushed madly "Well, I do! I love you!……Yes, you can laugh all you want, I know that you'll never-"

He didn't have the chance to continue speaking for the seer's lips brushed against his own when he least expected. He slowly responded by kissing her back and embracing her.

He heard some giggles and watched as Satoshi rolled on the floor with laughter.

"Ha! So the powerful sorcerer Sen Otsuki isn't as shy as I thought! That's something new for me!"

**_~~~END OF FLASHBACK~~~_**

"But you cursed him and you had no right to do that after he helped you!" reproached Sayuri.

"He caused me a lot of pain! If he had stopped Aki, if he had told me what she was planning in time, she wouldn't have died!" snapped Otsuki.

"He wanted to tell you but Aki prevent him from doing so! She made him sleep or something like that!" shot back Sayuri.

"You're lying!" spat the sorcerer, he violently lifted her chin "You know nothing!"

"But you know that I had a dream with Aki and Satoshi!" replied Sayuri.

"I only know that you had one but I wasn't there to see it!" said Otsuki.

"Anyways, I'm not lying!" spat Sayuri and she began coughing "I'm cold"

The sorcerer nodded and clapped loudly. His realm began vanishing slowly and when Sayuri least expected, she found herself glancing back to a pair of sapphire orbs.

"Are you okay?" asked Kouji.

"Yeah……I'm merely tired" replied the hazel-eyed girl.

"I'll take you home" said Kouji, he began rowing "You're very pale"

                                                                  *************************

"So, did you enjoy your date?" asked Kousei Minamoto as soon as his younger son came into the living room.

"Sayuri fainted just before I had the chance to ask her to be my girlfriend" said Kouji.

"Oh, that's not good" said Kousei, he nodded and a memory arrived to his mind "You know, your mother's illness was also a problem. She often fell ill and that began affecting our relationship so I began realizing that I didn't love her as much as I thought"

Kouji shook his head "And you ditched her, I know. Why didn't you tell me that before?"

"Because you would not listen to me after you met your mother" replied Kousei, he folded his newspaper "That's why I hid my true reasons from you and Kouichi"

"But still, you should have told us and Kouichi would like you a bit more" said Kouji "Didn't you care for him when you left my mother?"

"Akiko had a better position in that time. I knew how she was living until last year, when we arrived to Shibuya" replied Kousei "Anyways, I didn't have to tell you about that and I prefer not to touch the topic"

"I see" said Kouji, he shook his head "I'm hungry……I'll see you later"

Having said that, he turned around but not before glancing his father one last time. His father was a strange man, there was no doubt about that, and maybe for once, he understood how he felt about his mother's illness. Maybe for once, he understood his father's feelings and reasons for leaving his mother. Besides, his parents were young at that time and they were probably immature even if they wouldn't like to admit it.

_'I'll tell Kouichi about this. He should know and if I'm lucky, he'll like Dad a bit more'_

Anyways, he was growing more worried for Sayuri. She was fainting more often and when she woke up, she was very tired. It seemed that her life was slowly being drained by the curse in an irremediable way and that he, Kouji Minamoto, couldn't do something to prevent it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Now, that was a long chapter I had to write. Why? Because I started it on March 17……only the part of the sorcerer's life. In fact, I was going to write more about him but I decided to leave it for the next chapter. By the way, I delayed because I realized that I had left a few things without an explanation so I had to read some of my chapters and think in many things. Oh, yeah. You'll know what Taeko Nakajima had to do in the next chapter and I'll leave it to you to think if chapter 23 will be the last one about this story. But it's not about voting, I'll decide that…..after all, my mind is running out of ideas and I need a break. (Or maybe I shouldn't take a break, I need to keep myself busy so I won't depress myself with certain depressing thoughts about being unrequited)……….

**Now, I need you to understand something. In case I decide that chapter 23 will be the last one, I'll need time to think in Megumi's punishment. I got one idea but it's somehow unrealistic and I need a convincing one. I also want to be very descriptive with the sceneries and with the actions. I can even imagine it but I need time and less homework (Or if you want to kidnap two or three of my teachers……) Besides, holidays are coming and I'd like to finish it soon or as soon as I go back home…….I'll write a thank you chapter and then, the story will be over…… and I'll try to start a new one but with Frontier characters and another one that has to do with Kouji and another with Kouichi (that just occurred to me yesterday, while I was listening to one song and that'd one could be funny)  **

Evil Tenshi: Hi. Thanks for R&R. Hehe. Taeko and Megumi……to tell the truth, I had thought in that by chapter 5 but I decided that it wouldn't be right….at least in that chapter…..then, I thought it in chapter 12 or 13, (I'm not sure), but decided that it wouldn't fit and now, you suggested me that…….Well, I meditated it for a couple of days and thought about an alliance but then……..I'd have to think in something else for the bully and like I wrote before, I'm running out of ideas. I'm really sorry to disappoint you but I had to think in Megumi's personality and her obsession with getting Kouji and if I were in her shoes, she'd use that as a way to trying to get him jealous but that wouldn't have worked. (Now, that was something long to type) And Taeko, if he's a bully, he probably doesn't like fluffiness and if he's so busy, he won't have time to think in girlfriends. Oh, yeah. I'm glad you're better now. By the way, thanks a lot for reading all this story written by a weird girl like me. You've been reading it since the beginning and I shall not forget that. The only thing that saddens me is that once it's done, I won't know how to tell you my opinion about S. Tenshi (The first word is really long and I don't know what it means) Anyways, I hope you're fine. See you! =P

Omnicrom: Hi. Thanks for R&R. Well, I don't know what to say but you'd be a good critic (No offense), I mean, the way you write in your reviews. To tell the truth, I don't care a lot about Xu, that's why I never thought if he should be like this or that, I only needed him to continue with the plot and as a jealous brother. Now, about the ultra-dramatic romance chapters……well…….I admit it!……I like to make them suffer……..I don't know how or why but I get too inspired with those, that's why I kept writing like that. Oh, yeah, you'll know what the bullies had to do in my next chapter and about Kouichi's future……if I had had the time and hadn't written a few things, I'd have written more but I decided to leave it for my next story (I already have the prologue but I don't like it too much). Anyways, you're right, the story is coming to a close end but I'm not even sure of when…… About Megumi's plan, I have something in my mind but I don't know what to do with her……but I'll remember if that involves what you said. See you! =P

Misaki: Hi. Thanks for R&R. Hehe. I was just curious and I see that patience is not one of your virtues….Hahaha…..to chase Megumi……that's not a bad idea ***picks a bow and a quiver of arrows*** Let's go! (I like things involved with archery) And yes, people can be mean when they give me weird glances……but what do they know about me?…..if they don't give me the chance to prove who I am, they shouldn't judge me. Anyways, I'm somehow used to that. Oh, yeah, no more sad stuff with Kouichi-kun. (Like I once told you, I like to torture my favorite characters…..and I was inspired) Oh, yeah. I won't leave things to your imagination but I like kittens…..(I wonder if I can get one) Anyways, he doesn't like me back so I'm somehow still disappointed but I'll be okay. Well, that's all. See you! =P

LonelyWindFairy: Hi. Thanks for R&R. Hehe. It's ironic, some people say that I update too slow but I need time and a break. Kawaiiness……I'll need more of it for next chapter and if I'm lucky, I'll be really inspired. I still need to work with my imagination and descriptions, I'd like to improve. Well, I'm glad you continued reading and liking the story. See you! =P

Izumi-Star: Hi. Thanks for R&R. Haha. It doesn't matter which one you prefer, you like them and that makes me happy. Well, I'll try to remember to e-mail you…..you see…..I forget to when I have homework at Internet and it somehow felt strange to start with a hi instead of a "HOLA", but I might get used to it. About me being an awesome writer…..***cries in anime style (of happiness, of course)*** thanks a lot! I do my best! It means a lot for me! Well, hopefully we'll have time to chat in the MSN some other day, when we're not to busy. (It's funny, all my friends were also busy with homework…..well, I was also busy but they were too worried about it…..) Anyways, I hope you continue reading. See you! =P

Kana: Hi. Thanks for R&R. I agree, that was a kawaii but depressing chapter…..***cries anime style*** I'll try to write better and wait for my final chapter, I'll do my best with romance, drama, angst, mystery, suspense and all that stuff. See you! =P

Blue Savage: Hi. Thanks for R&R. Yup, I do know about tight schedules. I'm glad you liked my past chapters and about Yi Jie and Kouichi, I said that I did it because Kouichi practically came into my story in chapter 6th and met Yi Jie until chapter 10 or 11 (I won't check that now, I'm tired of doing so). Besides, I was inspired, I also like Kouichi a lot and he deserves a good story (I'll write like two for him if I can) Anyways, I hope you'll read my next chapter. Oh yeah, I don't remember if I told you but I saw that your story is about Yu-gi-oh and I'm not very familiarized with it so…..I don't think I'll read it, I don't have time to watch the show and I'll be asking about who is this and why are they? I'd be bugging you with my questions and I don't want that but good luck. Besides, I think you're having success with it. See you! =P

Digifan34: Hi. Thanks for R&R. Well, I also dislike Kouzumi and Kouizumi stories. Sorry again for all those who like them but I simply don't. And I also agree with you, they should be paired with someone who were more their type and it was a shame that Izumi was the only girl in Frontier, there should have been a balance (like Mimi & Sora in 01) Now, about Megumi……I haven't decided what I'll do with her……I mean, I know about the plan but what can I do? I got one idea but……wouldn't that be too mean and unrealistic?……I need ideas…..I also don't support yaoi or incest but I liked one poem (it's in my favorites stories). It's just that I like things that have to do with Yin Yang and that poem was good enough for me to like it. Hehe. And thanks for all those compliments and for liking so much my story! ***makes a happy dance*** Really, thanks a lot. I'm feeling better thanks to you and all my reviewers…….See you! =P 

Sacred Phoenix: Hi. Thanks for R&R. Hehe. Thanks for the compliments a lot. Well, I really must write more about the curse and how it'll break. I'll do my best and I hope you continue reading. See you! =P

~~~Li Kasumi


	23. Hope

Hi! Welcome to this chapter! Welcome to chapter 23! Get popcorn, chocolate, soda……whatever you want for the ending of _"The lonewolf meets his match"_ has finally arrived!!! OMG! I can't even believe it! Not even if I'm the author! I'm so gonna cry!!!!!!!!!!!!! ***takes a white tissue*** This story means so much for me and now…….it has ended.

Sorry for the long delay! I had to travel and then, I fell ill. First, my stomach, I don't know what I ate that I began throwing up and a fever bugged me for a few days. Then, I caught a cold that wouldn't let me sleep and I couldn't rest, I got a sore throat, then, I had to go to the dentist and she tightened my braces……..that week was a really bad one. ***sighs***

**_Unlike the other chapters, I'll reply your reviews now but there will also be a Thank you chapter for all of you, chapter 24 but it'll take time._** By the way, this is a **_very long chapter. In fact, it is the longest chapter I've ever written._**

Remember, I don't own Digimon (If I did, I'd be rich and the series would've been longer)…..and I'd own the twins ***dreamy face*** 

**_I can't forget something very important! I must get credit to Misaki for some ideas that involve certain scenes, the ones where Sen Otsuki appears in this chapter. Thanks a lot, misaki-san! I developed them and used your suggestions! Well, you'll read them soon!  _**

**_EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED_**

P.S. Take a box of tissues, there are so many fluffy things and I can't still understand why I didn't cry while writing this.

I don't own the lyrics for _Sotsugyou: Sayonara wa Ashita no Tame ni_ nor its translation (besides, I changed them to match my story) but **_the last nine lines of this chapter are mine, I wrote them_**. **_I hope I don't disappoint you and sorry if the punishment is unrealistic._**See you!

OmnicromXR: Hi! Thanks for R&R. It was a compliment, let's say that I like the way you write your reviews. Hehe. Don't be so hard on people but you're right in more than one thing. Well, Sen had a story that explained this and that, I would have liked to write more about him but I realized that I should've done that before. -_- Anyways, I wrote about him……. Well, I hope that you like this chapter. Like I wrote at the beginning of this chapter, I'll reply in chapter 24 the reviews I get from chapter 23, plus I have another reply for you and everyone who reviewed. Thanks a lot for everything. See you! =D

Blue Savage: Hi! Thanks for R&R. Hehe. I like suspense, what more can I say? Well, thanks for understanding that I won't read your story. And don't worry, I will NEVER ever write a Kouzumi or Kouizumi fanfic. I just don't like them and if I wrote one, it had to be because someone were pointing me with a gun or something like that. =P I'll use Sayuri but with a quite different personality, probably a sarcastic one and instead of Yi Jie, the other character for Kouichi is a cute girl. Not a sad one but not an hyper one……(she'll be in some way the main character) Hopefully, you'll read it but I don't know which characters I should select when creating the story. You know, I could choose both twins but if I also select romance, lots of people will think it's a yaoi. I think I'll probably choose Kouji, I'm more obsessed with him. Hehe. Well, I think that's all for now. My other reply for you is below and I'll update this chapter often to add things. Thanks for all, really. See you! =D

Evil One1: Hi! Thanks for R&R. Hmm…..I don't know what w00t means….but it doesn't matter. And yup, to ruin things for someone is something funny. Hehe. If I told you about something that happened to me more than a month ago, it was really funny and weird…..Well, I think I am weird but maybe it's just that I'm sometimes hyper but reading and writing relaxes me, so I can be serious at school if I keep busy. Besides, I've noticed funny facts about me. =P Anyways, back to the story….it's finished! ***cries of happiness*** Wow! I can't still believe it. I delayed because of Megumi's punishment and because I had to travel but during that trip, I fell ill of this and that. It was horrible and I was glad once I went back home. I hope you like it and I wish you good luck in your stories. Thanks a lot for choosing to read this story and for being the first reviewer, I feel happy for having that honor. I have another reply in chapter 24, just to let you know. Thanks for everything! See you! =D

Sacred Phoenix: Hi! Thanks for R&R. I agree with you about chapter 23 and might have done what you suggested but I had to travel…again so I had no time to modify or divide the chapter. Anyways, I think it's good enough. =P Hehe I think your ideas were great and thanks for liking that flashback scenes. I needed more time but it's okay. Well, thanks a lot for reading! See you!=D

Izumi-Star: Hi! Thank for R&R. Wow! Thank you! I guess it'd be easier to mail each other because if you're from United States, then, we're in different time zones. =P Well, I guess I do get reviews but it's also because I have been quite busy this last months, especially when the festival's preparations began and I had to rehearse. Anyways, wait for chapter 24 and you'll find my other reply. I really hope you like this chapter. Thanks for everything. See you! =D

Kara: Hi! Thanks for R&R. Hehe. I'm mean when it comes to suspense, aren't I? =P But now you'll know what it all was about. Thanks for the offer but as you can see, I had to time to think about it when I was ill. And the chapter, it was long. I'm amazed that with the lyrics, it had more than 10,000 words. It's nice that you've been still reading, you were of my first readers. Why don't you wait for my second reply of the whole story on chapter 24? Thanks a lot for everything and good luck! See you! =D

Kana: Hi! Thanks for R&R. Hehe. I think that almost everyone has a heart (My principal probably buried hers a long time ago) =P I've always loved suspense and clues, they're funny! Good luck to you too, please read my other reply at the next chapter. See you! =D

Misaki: Hi! Thanks for R&R. Yup. The story is now over….***cries anime style*** I'll miss it!!! =P About Sen, he does have a heart and a personality. Yeah! I'll begin writing and once I can clear my mind and get more ideas, I'll publish it. The Frontier one will have Sayuri but she'll be a quite sarcastic girl or something like that, I'll try to adapt her personality and if I must change this or that, I'll have to but I'll try to keep her essence. Yi Jie won't appear, but in her place, another girl will have the starring role. I've got a decent idea but I need to think in the damn summary and how I'll develop this. It'll probably include Takumi. Well, I must tell you that I thought I still had you e-mail when you wrote the idea but I think I deleted it along with some mails from other friends so…….I wrote your suggestion and developed it……maybe a bit too much and what I remembered of it. I'm really glad you love all the chapters and I hope you adore this one! Thanks for all! See you! =D

Digifan34: Hi! Thanks for R&R. What can I say? I love cliffhangers. Sorry for not updating sooner but I had to travel and then, I fell ill of this and that. Luck wasn't on my side =P Thanks once again for the compliments. I do hope you read my reply in chapter 24, in case you review this chapter. And I had to think in many sweet things! See you! =D

Kouji's fan: Hi! Thanks for R&R. Hey! Thanks a lot for recommending my story! Yup. I like suspense and cliffhangers =P And thanks for the compliments, I do appreciate them. Well, I hope you read this chapter soon and sorry for the delay. See you! =D

Erin-san: Hi! Thanks for R&R. Well, I'm glad that you like my story and that your friend suggested you to read it. And yup, Kouichi-kun is cute!!! =P He'll have a major participation in my next story, please read the other chapters. See you! =D

Elisabeth: Hi! Thanks for R&R. Well, it is funny to embarrass the characters, isn't it? Yup. He's cute!!! =P I hope you remember to read the other chapters and I'm glad you decided to review. Thanks for telling Michelle about my story and I didn't give up! Well, you'll be reading the whole story once I update, I guess. Anyways, thanks for recommending my story. See you! =D

Michelle: Hi! Thanks for R&R. Gee….thanks for the compliments. I see that some people like you agree with me, I mean, that there should've been another girl. I'll write more stories, the next one will be published as soon as I re-edit the prologue and think in a good summary. Hehe. I've never been good with those =P I'll also use Sayuri but instead of Yi Jie, I'll create a new character. Hopefully, you'll read that other story. See you! =D

Darkened Loner: Hi! Thanks for R&R. Hehe I don't think you'll need to do that and if you try to kill me….I hope I get a fast agony =P Thanks a lot for the compliments and I'll be reading more of your poetry soon. I really hope you like this chapter and I'll also have another reply for you in chapter 24. Well, enjoy the chapter and I'm glad you kept reading this. See you! =D

**_Please read, enjoy and review._**

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                                                            **_THE LONEWOLF MEETS HIS MATCH_**

By Li Kasumi

Hope. That feeling that makes us believe, that makes us dream and fight for what many would think is unreachable, for what many would think is impossible to achieve, for what many would think is nothing but a mere dream, an irrational illusion that can't die. 

But, do they really have the right to crush that dreams? Do they really do?

People may not understand it but Hope is a feeling that should always be there, that should never die like some ordinary desire. We, humans, are allowed to dream…………

A soft breeze blew over the playgrounds, making leaves and cherry blossoms fall from colored trees. It was a cheerful Wednesday at Shibuya and many teenagers were enjoying it, mainly because they were making fun of a bully.

"Hey, Nakajima, you look very good in that tutu!" mocked a boy named Takeshi.

A group of teenagers roared with laughter and began pointing the bully. The chestnut-haired boy rolled his eyes and snatched the newspaper from Takeshi's hands just to see himself wearing a pink shirt with a matching tutu. Whispers surrounded him, leaving no room for explanations of why he was dressed like that. 

"And to think that he was my crush" commented a blonde with scorn.

"I can't believe that I once fell for him!" said a redhead girl with pure disgust.

His ex-minions glared him, they were notably angry with him. If he hadn't done that stupid bet, they wouldn't be ridiculed, humiliated in front of all junior high.

Meanwhile, two blue-haired boys were quite busy talking, clearly apart from the crowd. Two seats behind, a brunette was listening their conversation while pretending to be asleep. Once the twins were done talking, they walked towards a laughing group of girls.

Megumi Sugiyama slowly raised her head, a smirk playing on her rosy pinks. Finally, the time when she could get revenge on the girl who got the boy she wanted had arrived. Her plan could fail, that was undeniable but she'd do her best in order to get what she most desired.

                                                           *********************************

"I have to admit it, my cousin deserves a compliment" said Sayuri with a grin "He's great!"

"I'm glad that Michihiko let us print those photos in the newspaper!" said Rei.

"Well, he'd do anything for you!" hinted Yi Jie.

Rei laughed "I suppose. I've been his crush since he got transferred"

"Yeah! You should have seen what he sent her on Valentine's Day!" said Youko.

"He sent me a big bouquet of red roses" said Rei.

"Oh, that's very sweet!" said Yi Jie.

"I know. It's a shame that he's a chicken" said Rei "I like him but I'd never ask him to be my boyfriend"

"Of course not. If he likes you a lot, he should be brave" agreed Yi Jie.

Sayuri nodded but kept herself from speaking.

"Yup! He should" said Ai "I mean, he can date you and then, he must ask you to be his girlfriend"

"That's how it works!" said Youko.

"I know" said Rei "But he's not like other boys"

"He's shy" said Ai "But he's not like the ones who date you and enjoy kissing you for awhile but when they meet or get interested in some other girl, they leave you for her"

"Michihiko is not like that. Hopefully, he'll ask me out soon" said Rei.

"I'm sure he will" said Yi Jie.

The girls continued walking by the playgrounds, their footsteps softly resounding. Much to their disgust, a pretty brunette and a redhead walked towards them.

"So the freak and the nerd befriend the mushy trio" commented Megumi.

She received five glares

"What do you want, Sugiyama?" snapped Yi Jie.

"Well, I wanted to enjoy this sunny day but you and your cousin ruined it" replied Megumi.

"Likewise" said Sayuri icily "By the way, if you're so popular, where are your other friends?"

"She doesn't have" said Ai briskly "After all the pranks we played on her, her _'popular'_ friends decided that they didn't want to have nothing with her because that would damage their reputation"

"Freak" said Megumi, she smirked "By the way, Miyahara, Kouji kissed me yesterday"

Sayuri laughed mockingly but stopped abruptly and spoke with a cold, serious voice "He'd never do that"

"Really? Why not?" spat Megumi.

"Because he's dating her" replied Yi Jie like if that were the dullest question.

"So? What if he _was_ dating her?" snapped Junko.

"He's not a two-timer" said Rei.

"I know. He's not a two-timer…….." said Megumi, she paused "……because he's not Miyahara's boyfriend"

Sayuri glared her.

"I knew you'd stay quiet because I'm not lying and you know that" said Megumi "Besides, Kouji was the one who told me that and I think you'd like to know his reasons"

"Go away, Sugiyama!" snapped Yi Jie.

"I don't obey orders from a nerd" said Megumi, she smirked "Besides, I'm sure that Miyahara would like to know"

"I'd never believe in anything you'd tell me" said Sayuri icily.

"Really? Why don't you ask Kouji?" suggested Megumi, she shrugged "He told me that he doesn't like you enough to ask you to be his girlfriend"

"That's not true!" snapped Yi Jie angrily "And he doesn't even like you, Sugiyama! Why would he tell you that?"

The brunette laughed "Why don't you ask him? I'm sure that he'll avoid all your questions! Are you afraid of his reply? Are you afraid of knowing the truth, Miyahara?"

Megumi laughed but her laughter soon faded away when a pale hand made contact with her cheek.

"I don't believe anything you've said" declared Sayuri.

The brunette rubbed her red cheek and glared her before walking past her with Junko. She glanced back at Sayuri and smirked.

"You'll pay for this, Miyahara. I swear you will"

Megumi rubbed her cheek again, it still ached a bit. Revenge was the only word in her mind at that moment and she would get it, she would get it soon. She would enjoy breaking her rival in the blink of an eye and that day was about to arrive.

"I'm surprised that you didn't backslap her" commented Junko out of the blue.

Megumi nodded " I couldn't react! I can't believe she had the guts to slap me! I can't still believe it!" 

"Calm down! Remember your plan! Miyahara will hate Minamoto!" said the redhead.

"It better works or I'll have to kill her! I can't believe she slapped me! I can't!" said Megumi furiously, she sighed, trying to regain her composure "Even if she's not a normal person, she's still a girl. I have something in mind that will erase all smile from her face forever""

"What is it?" asked Junko curiously "What could be more painful than ripping her heart when she least expects it?"

"Hmm………I'll tell you later" said Megumi softly, she smirked "I need to get a few things"

"Fine" replied Junko.

The brunette turned around and walked away quickly, not looking back. She had to be very careful and plan her movements or nothing would work. Her new idea was risky and it would not be easy to achieve her goal. 

- 

"It was really funny, Xu has some good ideas" commented Yi Jie.

"Can we watch it again?" asked Kouji "You know, I like the part where Nakajima must play the part as Juliet" 

"Yup! Then, the part where he wears that pink dress. It really suited him!" commented Kouichi, he laughed "Did you see his face when everybody watched the movie at school?"

"Yeah! I thought that Yoshioka and Kino would faint! They were as pale as ghosts!" said Yi Jie between tears of laughter.

"Let's see the movie again" said Kouji, he grinned "A parody of famous, mushy stories with our favorite bullies as the characters……Xu can be likeable sometimes"

"Yeah!" replied Yi Jie.

Kouji frowned "Sayuri, is something wrong? You haven't uttered a single word"

The hazel-eyed girl raised an eyebrow "No"

Yi Jie coughed "She….hmm…..well…..Megumi Sugiyama bothered her at school"

"So she bugged you" stated Kouji, he shrugged "I don't know why you care, you know that she's upset because she didn't get me"

"Well, it's not like I've got you either" shot Sayuri, arms crossed.

Kouichi glanced Yi Jie "I think we'll go for popcorn"

Yi Jie nodded bashfully "Yeah! And for sodas!"

They left in an instant to leave Kouji and Sayuri alone. Silence filled the atmosphere and Kouji glanced Sayuri, considering that the moment to make his request had arrived.

He let out a sigh "Hmm……you're sad because we're not an item, aren't you?"

Sayuri didn't move

Kouji continued "Yi Jie and Kouichi told me about it after your mom talked with them"

Sayuri frowned "Mom told them? Why? I didn't ask her to intervene!"

"Calm down" said Kouji, he sighed again "Well, now that I know how you feel I think that I should-"

"If you don't want me to be your girlfriend yet, you don't have to ask me that" interrupted Sayuri softly, she got up from the sofa and hurried away.

"Wait! You didn't understand me!" said Kouji after he got up from his seat.

"Of course I did! You're being forced and I don't want that!" replied Sayuri from the corridor.

"B-But….hey!" called Kouji, he got no reply.

The blue-haired boy slapped his forehead. Why did he have to tell her about Kouichi and Yi Jie? Why? He was so unlucky, every time he tried to ask her to be his girlfriend, he was interrupted.

He shook his head and glanced the ceiling, sighing in exasperation, he walked out of the house. Outside, everything was peaceful: a clear sky, trees moving with the breeze and cherry blossoms flying around the place.

He sighed again. He'd have to wait until Sayuri were calmed to make his request. Luck was not on his side and feeling tired and exasperated, he made his way home, thinking that playing his guitar for awhile would relax him. 

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

Thursday arrived at Shibuya slower than a certain girl wanted. It would be a memorable day for her and other two teenagers, it would be the day when her revenge would be fulfilled.

Megumi Sugiyama had been more than patient. She had been planning to tear them apart since February and had modified her plans more than once. The day before, she added another idea that would hurt Sayuri Miyahara not only emotionally but physically also. 

The bell rang, indicating the end of classes and the beginning of a series of traps. Megumi quickly arose, leaving her seat the fastest she could and walking through her fellow classmates' seats. When she was about to walk past Kouji Minamoto's seat, the brunette quickly left a small, folded paper on his desk and then, she continued her way to the door. She smirked triumphantly as she watched Kouji unfolding the paper from the corner of her brown eyes. Ah……curiosity had touched the handsome boy, just as she expected and if she was lucky enough, it would touch the freak too.

She continued watching the teenager, she waited for what seemed hours for her and just when she was about to give up hope, she received a nod from him and then, watched him tear her note.

She nodded back and left the classroom, making her way to the auditorium. The place was deserted after classes and there would be no interruptions there. It was the perfect place for her plan and everything was ready.

Meanwhile, Sayuri and Kouichi were glancing Kouji with curiosity. Both had seen the unfolded paper that the brunette left on his desk but they didn't have the chance to read it.

 "So……" started Kouichi, looking rather interested "……what does she want?"

Kouji hesitated "Hmm……I'm not sure but…..I must get going"

Having said that, he took his schoolbag and walked out of the classroom hastily. Kouichi and Sayuri shared a nod before leaving after him but Yi Jie stopped them.

"Where are you two going?" she asked, not having witnessed what had happened for she was talking with Rei.

"Sugiyama left an unfolded paper at Kouji's desk and he went after her" replied Kouichi "We want to know what's going on"

"He went after her?" repeated Yi Jie, she frowned "That's strange"

"You can stay here but I really want to know what she wants" said Sayuri.

"Sorry" apologized Yi Jie, she nodded "I still have to go for some books at my locker but I'll be waiting for you at the gate"

"Sure" said Kouichi.

-

"So what do you want?" snapped Kouji.

The brunette walked slowly towards him, her gaze never leaving him. She suddenly tripped or at least that was what it seemed but she promptly got to her feet.

Megumi groaned and closed her eyes, only to open them soon "I knew you'd come"

Kouji rolled his eyes "I found your message interesting, that's why I decided to follow you"

Megumi grinned "So, you want to get rid of me, don't you?"

Kouji nodded "Of course. If you're going to leave us alone, I'll do whatever you want"

An eager, excited look appeared on Megumi's face "I only have a request, Kouji Minamoto"

Kouji raised an eyebrow "Yeah?"

The brunette walked towards him but abruptly stopped "Could you come? That stupid girls made me fall and I cannot walk freely"

Kouji rolled his eyes again but did what Megumi asked him to "You left the classroom quickly"

The brunette shrugged "So? I made an effort because what I want is really important"

"So, what do you want?" asked Kouji, exasperation was clearly noticeable in his voice.

"I want you to act like if you really, really liked me" said Megumi softly "You know, I want to play with that sweet lips of yours for awhile"

"What?" snapped Kouji with incredulity, eyes widened.

"You heard me" said Megumi calmly, she sighed "I can't have you because you prefer Miyahara over me but if I can have a good memory……..I'll leave you two alone"

Kouji hesitated "So, you only want a kiss?"

"Exactly" replied Megumi "But, before you kiss me, you must tell me that you like me a lot, hug me and compliment me"

"You never get tired of praises, do you?" spat Kouji, he sighed in exasperation "What do you want me to tell you? That you're beautiful?"

"Another right answer" said Megumi with a smirk "You're so smart…….."

"Fine" replied Kouji.

"But please, don't be so cold" said Megumi, she sneaked a glance to the door of the auditorium "Hmm…..try to think that I'm Miyahara"

"I could never do that" said Kouji "Sayuri is very different from you"

"I know she is" said Megumi, she smirked when she felt her cell phone vibrate in her pockets "Now, let's start with the show and try to be very romantic and mushy, but this must last a bit you know, I don't have a good memory. By the way, call me by my name"

"Oh, fine" said Kouji, he took a deep breath, not aware that he was about to fall in a trap "Megumi, I think you're…..a pretty girl and that any boy would be happy just to have you as a girlfriend"

"That's something nice, Kouji" replied Megumi, she grinned and flung his arms around his neck "Why are you so cold? You really need to improve"

"Sorry" said the lonewolf, shrugging before hugging her back "I'm not very good at this……"

"It doesn't matter, continue" said Megumi.

Kouji sighed again, his voice softened "Well, I think you are nice and one of the most beautiful girls I've ever met"

"Hmm…..that's better, darling" said Megumi "But hurry up, you know that I'm not very patient and I must go home"

Kouji rolled his eyes but nodded "Sure"

"It feels so good in your arms, just like last Tuesday……" said Megumi, a bit loud. Kouji gave her a quizzical look "Well, let's do it, darling"

The blue-haired teenager closed his eyes and thinking that it was something that could benefit not only him but Sayuri also, inched forward and brushed his lips against Megumi's. He soon found out that her lips knew very well what to do, the brunette was indeed, an experienced kisser. 

"Kouji!" called a familiar voice.

Megumi smirked and released Kouji, breaking the kiss. The teenager froze, he immediately spotted the person who called him. It was Kouichi and he wasn't alone, Sayuri was with him.

"Wait! It's not what you think!" yelled Koji

He ran past the brunette and arrived where his brother and Sayuri were. Kouichi was frowning and Sayuri had her eyes fixed on him, her face free from all expression.

"I swear that I have a good reason for being here" said Kouji.

The resound of a slap filled the auditorium. Kouji was shocked but he took his hand to his cheek. Redness began to appear in his slightly tanned cheek. Before he could utter a word, Sayuri turned around and walked away quickly, not looking back.

"She slapped me……" whispered Kouji, rubbing his cheek "……she slapped me"

Kouichi snorted indignantly "What did you expect? A hug? A kiss?"

Kouji turned his eyes to Megumi, who was standing where he left her, a smirk playing on her lips. He slapped himself mentally, feeling incredibly stupid for falling in the trap of such a narcissistic, arrogant girl.

"Ah! Your brother is also here!" commented the brunette, walking calmly towards them without the slightest preoccupation in the world "Hi, Kouichi"

The older twin sent her a cold, dark glare and turned around, but he did glance back at his brother one last time "I hope you can explain us this". He opened the door of the auditorium and walked out of it, not waiting for his brother to reply.

Megumi walked past Kouji but stopped in her tracks to kiss him on the cheek, then, she laughed in his face. She waved at him and left the auditorium, closing the door loudly.

_'There are only two things that remain to be done and then, my revenge will be complete'_

                                                       ********************************************

"I'm glad you arrived because we ha-" began Jiang Li but her daughter walked past her and Akiko.

As soon as Sayuri got to her room, she slammed the door. Jiang Li was about to scold her when Yi Jie arrived with Kouichi.

"Where's Sayuri?" asked Kouichi while catching his breath.

"At her room" replied Jiang Li "What happened?"

"Kouichi, you didn't upset her again, did you?" asked Akiko with a not very gentle voice.

"No, it was Kouji" said Yi Jie.

Both women turned to see her with a puzzled look. Akiko raised an eyebrow "Why?"

"He was kissing Megumi Sugiyama" said Kouichi.

"But that's not possible" replied Akiko.

"Sayuri and I saw him! She left him a note and he followed her" said Kouichi, he took a deep breath "We looked for him and found him with her! Hugging and then, kissing!"

Jiang Li glanced the door of Sayuri's room sadly. Akiko nodded "She needs you, go to comfort her"

"Maybe, you should leave her alone for a while" suggested Yi Jie.

"No, Akiko is right, Sayuri needs me" replied Jiang Li, she stepped forward "Excuse me"

She walked towards Sayuri's room and knocked the door. When she heard no response, she turned the doorknob just to find that Sayuri had locked herself.

"Sayuri, it's me, your mom. Open, please" asked Jiang Li softly but enough audible for her daughter to hear. However, the door kept closed "Sayuri Miyahara, open the door now! You're worrying me! What if you faint while you're locked?"

Finally, she heard noises, footsteps that drew nearer by each second. Jiang Li let out a sigh of relief and expected to see the door open slowly, instead, she soon listened to a sweet melody.

"I want to be alone" said Sayuri from inside her room.

"Open now! I'm worried for you! Open this door!" demanded Jiang Li.

"I want to be alone" repeated Sayuri clearly.

"Remember that I have the key that opens this room! Open now, Sayuri!" demanded Jiang Li.

"Why? I told you that I want to be alone" replied Sayuri, her voice grew colder "You can do whatever you want, I don't care. I just want to be alone! Why…..why can't you understand that?"

Jiang Li relented. She went back to the kitchen, where she met Kouji talking with Akiko, Kouichi and Yi Jie. Her amber eyes narrowed and everybody turned to see her.

"Mrs. Miyahara………" murmured Kouji, his sapphire orbs beaming with anxiety "Where's Sayuri? How's she?"

"She's not happy, you know" replied Jiang Li, coldness becoming evident in her usually kind voice "I expect a good explanation, young man"

"I swear that I have a good one" said Kouji firmly, he sighed "But please, let me talk with her first"

"She's locked herself" said Jiang Li briskly, coldness still lingering in her voice "But I want to know why you did what Kouichi told us"

Kouji nodded and took a deep breath "Fine. It started when………"

He told them the whole story.

"When I see her, I'll………" said Yi Jie, her fists clenched.

"Yi Jie, you shouldn't get in trouble because of someone like her" said Akiko. 

The Chinese girl nodded in agreement after meditating for a few seconds "Fine. But she deserves a good punishment"

"We know" said Kouichi, he glanced his little brother "So, what will you do?"

"Hmm……if Mrs. Miyahara lets me talk with her, I will" replied Kouji, looking pleadingly at Jiang Li "Please, let me talk with her"

"Alright" said Jiang Li "But I'm not sure if she'll want to talk with you"

"I must try" said Kouji.

He followed Jiang Li to Sayuri's room and knocked. "It's me", he said. Much to his relief, the door swung open. Sayuri walked out of her room, her glance rested on Kouji alone, contemplating him for what seemed an eternity. Sadness was inhabiting her heart and mind in that moment but her eyes narrowed into hazel slits while fighting the hurt of his betrayal with another familiar feeling.

Anger.

"What are you doing here?" she spat.

"I must explain you what happened" said Kouji.

"There's no need for explanations, Minamoto. It's pretty clear with whom you want to be" said Sayuri icily, she glared him "Sugiyama told me that you kissed her last Tuesday, I didn't believe her but after seeing how much you enjoy her company……I can see that she wasn't lying"

"I don't like her" stated Kouji, he reached for her hand but Sayuri slapped him loudly. He rubbed his cheek, it was becoming redder by each second "I can understand that you're angry but I must explain you"

"I don't want to hear you! I don't want to see you! Get out and don't come back!" snapped Sayuri angrily.

"Sayuri, let him talk" said Jiang Li softly "He's done too much for you, give him a chance"

"I don't want to see him" stated Sayuri, once she was done speaking, she entered her room and slammed the door. Everything brought her nothing but pain and anger. That scenes, the ones when Kouji was praising Megumi Sugiyama, hugging her back and then, kissing……they hurt. 

Ai's words echoed in her mind: _the ones who date you and enjoy kissing you for awhile but when they meet or get interested in some other girl, they leave you for her_. Everything hurt so much………

She could not fight the sadness anymore, fresh tears began sliding down her cheeks when she least expected. She took her music box, listening to its melody while holding it tightly to her chest.

-

"What happened?" asked Kouichi eagerly. 

Kouji looked at him with glance of sadness "She didn't let me speak"

"Well, she's not in the mood of talking now" said Yi Jie "Why don't you try to talk with her tomorrow?"

"But I want to talk with her today, I must explain her everything" replied Kouji.

"I think Yi Jie's right" said Akiko "Let Sayuri think and calm down"

"Maybe, you're right" said Kouji "Then, I guess I'll go home"

"I can go with you" said Kouichi hesitantly "I want to……see Dad"

"I see" said Kouji, he glanced his mother, Yi Jie and Jiang Li "I'll see you tomorrow"

"I'll see you later, Mom" said Kouichi "Goodbye, Yi Jie, Mrs. Miyahara"

"Bye" replied Jiang Li.

"Kouichi, behave" warned Akiko but she was smiling "Kouji, everything will be fine"

The twins nodded and the older one received a kiss on the cheek from his girlfriend. They waved goodbye and left the shrine while two women and a chestnut-haired teenager shared a glance of concern.

~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

However, Friday wasn't Kouji's lucky day. Sayuri always found an excuse to stay away from everybody. Megumi Sugiyama was enjoying that with a great satisfaction and turned to talk with Junko.

"That's what he deserves for rejecting me" said the brunette and she smirked "And I also had the chance to hug him and kiss him….."

"I still don't understand why you didn't try to get his brother" said Junko.

"Because I wanted to beat the freak by getting Minamoto" replied Megumi "By the way, thanks for helping me"

"You're welcome" said Junko, she played with a curl of her red hair "Is everything ready for your movie?"

Megumi laughed "Of course. The end of classes will be very enjoyable, you know". The bell rang and the brunette got to her feet, she cleared her throat "Dear classmates, I'd like you to watch a movie. I'd like to share some happy moments I had with Kouji Minamoto"

"What do you mean?" demanded the lonewolf. Megumi Sugiyama smirked "Come on, darling. Don't be timid, we can show them what a good kisser you are. I wonder if Miyahara would like to watch it, in case she lost some scenes"

"Kouji's already explained us what happened! Stop bugging, Sugiyama!" said Yi Jie angrily, standing and walking towards the brunette.

"I've told you, I don't follow orders from a nerd" said Megumi icily.

"Watch your tongue!" warned Kouichi.

"You would never hurt me, Kimura" replied Megumi, she smirked "By the way, what do you say, my fellow classmates, would you like to see the movie?"

"Let's see it!" said Junko. 

"To those who want to watch it, I'll be watching it at the auditorium" announced Megumi, she glanced Sayuri "Miyahara, you're also invited unless you're scared of watching it"

Several students turned to glance the raven-haired girl, who seemed to be meditating her answer. She finally nodded and followed the brunette to the auditorium, most of his classmates walking behind her. Everything was ready, Megumi introduced a video in a video cassette recorder and turned on a huge TV.

She watched Sayuri expectantly, waiting for her to cry or look away but the small lily never gave her that satisfaction, her eyes never left the screen. Her face was expressionless and once the movie ended, she got to her feet and made her way out of the auditorium. 

Kouji followed her, ignoring the whispers from his classmates, fighting the feeling he had of seizing Megumi Sugiyama and strangle her.

The brunette smirked after watching him leave, she held the videotape that came out from the video cassette recorder and made a signal at Junko to follow her.

_'And now, let's end this…….'_

-

"Please, let me explain you!" said Kouji. Sayuri turned around to see him, ice in her eyes "I don't think that you should explain me anything……..I should have known……I should have seen that you didn't hold any feelings for me"

"That's not true and you know it!" spat Kouji, grabbing her wrist tightly and forcing her to look at his face "If I didn't have feelings for you I wouldn't be worried about you and your curse! If I didn't have feelings for you I wouldn't risk my life at that realm! If I didn't have feelings for you I wouldn't-"

"Then, why did you seem to be enjoying your kiss with Megumi Sugiyama?" shot back Sayuri, interrupting him. She shook her head, tears began rolling down her cheeks "You were playing with me! You only wanted to kiss me and now that you got tired with me, you went after her! Why didn't you tell me that I was a mere diversion for you? Why?"

Kouji stepped back involuntarily, releasing her wrist. He was shocked to see her crying, to see tears rolling down her pale cheeks, to see her eyes becoming red and puffy, to see her being weak. 

When he least expected, she ran past him, wiping away her tears. He was too slow to react, she was almost out of sight when he turned around. 

-

"But I don't think we should" muttered an unnerved Junko.

"Come on" said Megumi and glanced the small, crystal bottle that the redhead was holding.

Both girls were waiting at the playgrounds, waiting for Sayuri to walk by. A breeze blew over the place, making them shiver slightly. Finally, like a lioness that's just spotted her prey, Megumi's eyes widened. She glanced her friend and then, the contents of the bottle she was holding. 

Acid.

Corrosive acid that she had stolen from the Chemistry lab the day before. Megumi took and opened slightly the small bottle and stepped forward. A hand pulled her back and the brunette turned to see her friend.

"What?" she spat at Junko.

"You can't do it! It's dangerous for both of us!" snapped the redhead. 

"Don't be such a crybaby!" said Megumi harshly and walked quickly, making her way to where Sayuri was, closely followed by Junko. 

_'This is for the slap. No one dares to slap me without getting a punishment, no one'_

"Miyahara!" she called.

Sayuri turned around and immediately spotted her, her eyes glowing with frosty fire. Megumi walked towards her, still followed by Junko. 

"What?" snapped the raven-haired girl.

"I have a present for you" replied the brunette with a singsong voice.

"Megumi, don't do that! We'll get in trouble!" begged Junko, her hand snatched the bottle from Megumi's. The brunette frowned and began struggling with the redhead, there was no way that her best friend would interfere. 

"Give me that back!" demanded Megumi while Sayuri watched them struggling, confused for their actions. Junko tried to keep the bottle "No! I don't want us to get in trouble!"

They continued struggling but Megumi was stronger than Junko and the redhead was growing tired. The bottle slipped from Junko's hand in midst of the struggle for it, its content being thrown towards Megumi's face. 

A scream was released.

Sayuri watched in horror as Megumi clutched her face with her hands and wailed in pain. Junko looked at her friend in shock; the bottle laid now broken on the stone floor.

"Megumi! Megumi! Are you okay?" cried the redhead, she turned desperately to Sayuri "Please! Go for help! Acid fell on her face! Please!"

The raven-haired girl nodded, turned around and ran towards the school the fastest she could, her brain barely registering what her rival had planned to do.

                                                              **********************************

"Where were you?" asked Jiang Li as soon as her daughter entered the living room. She got no response and walked towards Sayuri "What happened? Are you okay? You're trembling slightly"

Sayuri Miyahara looked away momentarily, then, she returned her gaze to her mother "Well, I……Megumi Sugiyama….she tried to……she wanted……", she looked for the words, feeling scared and horrified by what she had to say, "……she tried to disfigure my face with acid"

Then, it came what she expected. 

Her mother took a hand to her mouth, her amber eyes widened in shock and then and her pale arms surrounded her protectively.

"But you're okay, right?" said Jiang Li softly, hugging her daughter tightly "You're okay, aren't you?"

"Yeah…..I'm okay……" replied Sayuri, she took a deep breath "Junko Iwata struggled with Sugiyama but the bottle was opened, the acid fell on Sugiyama's face and I went for help……..she's at the hospital now and the principal will expel them……."

"Oh my!" exclaimed Jiang Li. Yi Jie entered the living room, closely followed by Kouichi "Auntie! Sayuri! You should have seen what happened a few minutes ago! Am ambulance arrived at school and took Sugiyama to the-"

"We know. Acid fell on her face" interrupted the hazel-eyed girl, she sighed "She wanted to attack me with it but her plan somehow backfired"

"She what? How?" said Kouichi.

"Junko Iwata struggled with Sugiyama because she didn't want to get in trouble but the bottle of acid was opened and it fell over her face" explained Sayuri, she shook her head "I heard the principal will expel them and……Sugiyama's parents want to move to Tokyo, they want to treat her injuries there"

"I see" said Kouichi, he looped an arm around Yi Jie's shoulders "She's not a good person but she…..I never thought that she'd try something like that"

"Well, she did" replied Jiang Li, she hugged Sayuri tighter "Anyways, nobody deserves what happened to her"

"Sayuri, I know this is not the moment but……ah……Kouji, he wants to explain you what happened yesterday" said Kouichi hesitantly.

Sayuri raised her eyebrows slightly "I want to take a bath, change clothes, eat…..If he still wants to come……he's more than welcomed"

Kouichi nodded, looking satisfied by the answer "I'll tell him". He kissed Yi Jie on the cheek "I've gotta go. I'll see you later, Mrs. Miyahara, Yi Jie, Sayuri!"

Yi Jie watched him leave and grinned "See you!". She glanced her cousin and grinned even more "Finally, you're going to talk with Kouji"

"I want to take a bath, if you don't mind" replied Sayuri in a solemn voice. Jiang Li broke the embrace, nodding understandingly "Hurry up"

The raven-haired girl nodded and turned around. She walked, making her way to her room and disappearing from the sight of both her mother and cousin.

        ~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~************************************************~*~*~*~*~***********~*~*~*~*~

Sayuri Miyahara glanced the clock of her room for the millionth time, sighing sadly. _'He hasn't come yet or I would know……after all I told him….I really don't deserve him…….I really don't'_

She stood up and marched towards a big mirror, watching her reflection: Her black hair was loosened and adorned with a hair clip, her pale neck was surrounded by a medallion and her body was dressed in a light blue cheongsam.

"He hasn't come yet……I wonder if he will" she murmured. She took her music box and hugged it to her chest, leaving her room slowly. 

She made her way to the sacred tree of the Miyahara Shrine and leaned against it. Her pale hands opened the music box with a platinum key, releasing a hand-blown glass lily and a soft but sweet melody. 

Tears began streaming down her cheeks. She could not blame Kouji for not wanting to talk with her, she had hurt him and doubted of him after all he had done for her.

For once in her life, she really felt broken…….crushed…….defeated…..

It was her fault……if she had given him the chance to clarify things, to defend himself…..but her foolish pride didn't let her. If she could turn back the time, she'd try to change things but she didn't have that power, she didn't…..

A zephyr blew softly, making the sacred tree move slightly, its branches rustling over her head and petals of cherry blossoms fluttering down, showering her.

Dark blue was already filling the sky, the sun having just disappeared from it. The first stars began making their appearance on the dark blue veil and a blue full moon began emerging. 

All this beauty reflected on the crystalline pond of the Miyahara Shrine. The green grass moving along with the soft breeze while more stars appeared on the night sky. Nonetheless, Sayuri wanted to share all that beauty with her lonewolf.

"I wish you were here, Kouji"

"Well, your wish was granted because here I am" 

Sayuri looked up and a smile appeared on her lips. Beside her, Kouji was standing before her with a small bouquet of cherry blossoms. The lonewolf sat beside her, greeting her with a weak but gentle smile. He really didn't know where to begin but he would explain everything.

"Kouichi told me that Megumi Sugiyama tried to attack you with acid but her plan backfired" he began "Are you okay?"

Sayuri nodded "Yeah…."

"I didn't come earlier because I was doubting whether to come or not" confessed Kouji, he sighed "I was……I am still shocked to know that you've been crying because of me", he smiled sadly, "I can see that I am very important for you and you should know that you're not unrequited……"

He took a deep breath and continued talking "I should have told why I decided to follow Sugiyama, she made me fall in her trap because she knew how much I care for you. I kissed her because she-"

"I know. Junko Iwata told me everything after the ambulance took Sugiyama to the hospital" interrupted Sayuri, she sniffed "I'm really sorry. I should have let you clarify everything instead of acting like a stubborn, spoiled, proud brat"

Kouji nodded understandingly "You were merely jealous and hurt"

Sayuri sighed "You're very understanding while I am…….." 

"Would you like to know something?" asked Kouji "I…...never asked you to be my girlfriend because I thought that you'd think that was something mushy and needless but Yi Jie and Kouichi told me how you felt about it"

Sayuri wiped away her tears "So, that day, when you mentioned them, you really……you really wanted to ask me to be your girlfriend"

Kouji nodded "Yeah……but you went to your room"

"I'm sorry" said Sayuri.

"Then, let's forget all this" offered Kouji, he closed his eyes just to open them moments later "What do you say?"

Sayuri smiled and hugged his arm "Yes, we'll forget all this….."

Kouji returned the smile "Would you like to be my girlfriend?"

Sayuri widened her hazel eyes in surprise but her expression was soon replaced by a genuine smile "Yes, I would like that a lot"

"Would you like to know something else?" asked Kouji while handing her the bouquet of cherry blossoms "I love you"

"Why me?" asked Sayuri quietly, her hands holding the bouquet.

Kouji grinned "Because….you are an unique and special girl……because you like me by who I am……because you show me who you really are, without masks, without falsenesses……because you became treasured among my feelings……because you've got not only a pretty face but you've also got a beautiful soul and I couldn't…..I cannot keep myself from loving it"

Another breeze blew over the place just as he finished uttering his last word. More cherry blossoms fell over them while Sayuri looked at him, stunned. However, she soon recovered from the shock.

"You are wrong, Kouji Minamoto. I don't like you as you think" she said; the lonewolf eyed her, confusion written all over his face "…..and that is because you don't know that I love you too"

A smile appeared on their faces and both teenagers drew near, their noses already touching, the music box still playing its melody. 

The breeze continued blowing, this time, the cherry blossoms flew to the sky, surrounding the sacred tree in a fluttering dance while a kiss was shared in midst of the spectacle.

When the kiss broke, Kouji spotted the music box, he grinned "Would you like to know the name of this melody?" 

Sayuri blinked, looking confused "Of course. I thought you didn't know its name"

Kouji giggled "Spring night love song"

Sayuri hugged his arm again "So that's why you didn't tell me its name sooner, you were scared that I'd know that you loved me"

Kouji blushed "Don't be so arrogant! I…..I didn't love you when I bought it but you're right, I was scared if you knew the name. Besides, it's got some sort of legend"

Sayuri glanced him, looking interested "Really?"

Kouji kissed her on the cheek "It's more a love story. A musician composed it for his girlfriend because he had to leave her. He promised that he'd return and he did, on a spring night……he wanted her not to lose hope"

Sayuri sighed "A spring night? Just like this one?"

Kouji giggled "I'm sure that this one is much more romantic and beautiful", he glanced the environment "Look around, it's such a beautiful night"

Sayuri nodded in agreement "Yeah…..it's a beautiful night"

Kouji put an arm around Sayuri's shoulders "April 15, I'll like to be under this same tree with you next year"

Sayuri rested her head on his shoulder "We've known since November 15, we've known for five months since that Monday"

"Yeah…..five months" whispered Kouji.

Pink petals danced with the wind, the pink snowstorm falling around the place on that spring night, on that magical spring night.

Out of the blue, everything was covered by a black veil, everything began fading away but the two teenagers, the reason: they had been just transported to a dark forest.

"It's nice to see you again, Minamoto" greeted Sen Otsuki, his voice mellowed "I'm really sorry for ruining such a special night"

Sayuri snorted "Then, return us to our world"

The sorcerer clapped, Sayuri flew through the air and was thrown to the ground, several feet away from Kouji. The lonewolf ran towards her but an invisible barrier smacked him painfully and he fell backwards to the grounds. He got to his feet almost immediately and fruitlessly punched the barrier.

"By the way, it's funny to see you, Minamoto" commented Otsuki, he laughed "Sayuri Miyahara is wearing nice clothes while you're wearing casual clothes, a bandana, a jacket……"

Kouji turned to see him "It's none of your business what I choose to wear! Now, let us go!"

His katana materialized in the ground and he quickly took it, he began slashing the force field but it didn't give. He heard laughter from behind, the sorcerer floated towards him.

"Aki wasn't a very powerful sorceress" said Sen Otsuki, he sighed "I think you were lucky, to spend such a beautiful night with the one you love……I could have sworn that a magical presence was influencing the wind but I guess I was merely dreaming……"

Kouji glared him "Let us go!"

Sen Otsuki's reply was to appear Uso by his side. The snake launched at the lonewolf without a warning and he could barely dodged it; the reptile's head collided with the invisible barrier.

"I cannot deal with you, Minamoto" said the sorcerer "Uso will be your entertainment while I'll be Miyahara's"

"No! Come back!" called Kouji while watching him getting through the barrier like a ghost. However, his eyes soon returned to the snake.

Uso launched again at him, the teenager dodged it and tried to slash it but his feet were caught by the reptile's tail and he was thrown to a tree.

Meanwhile, Sen Otsuki advanced slowly towards Sayuri, his scepter appeared in his hand. The raven-haired girl stepped back, her hazel eyes narrowed, expecting an attack.

"Tell me, did you enjoy this night?" asked the sorcerer.

Sayuri glared him "I was enjoying it a lot but that was until you beckoned us"

"I am sorry" said the sorcerer in a low voice "But I must tell you that you're going to die tonight"

Sayuri widened her eyes "What?"

"I want it that way. You're the last of the Miyaharas and I want to end this now" replied the sorcerer quietly, he raised his scepter.

Several crystals were suddenly thrown at Sayuri, who could only dodge some of them, yelping in pain and surprise after being attacked with them. 

Again, glittering crystals were shot towards the small lily and she covered her face just in time, running away from them. Unfortunately, she tripped over a branch and was abruptly struck by more sharp crystals, making her wince and cry in anguish.

"I knew that you wouldn't bear the pain" said Sen Otsuki, he sighed "Too bad that you couldn't enjoy more time with your boyfriend but at least I let him come"

He clapped and teleported themselves closer to where Uso and Kouji were. The snake had seized him around the neck and pulled him upright, his breath was becoming weaker by each second.

"No! Let him go!" wailed Sayuri, flinging herself down at the sorcerer's feet "Let him go! He's got nothing to do with this!"

"Uso" called Otsuki in a singsong voice "Let him go"

The reptile obeyed its master and loosened its hold on Kouji's neck, the boy fell to the ground, coughing and inhaling air desperately.

"Are you okay?" asked Sayuri weakly, crawling to the very beginning of the force field "Are you okay?"

The boy turned to see her, clutching his ribs and crawling towards her. Nevertheless, the barrier was still there and both teenagers were still separated by it. 

"Sayuri……" gasped the lonewolf, his slightly tanned fingers touching the force field.

"That's unnecessarily mushy, you know" commented Otsuki, he yawned "By the way, your girlfriend is going to die tonight"

"Leave her alone!" cried Kouji. Uso hissed and then, wrapped his bruised body tightly, watching him struggle uselessly for he didn't have his katana. 

"Please, leave him alone!" begged Sayuri, tears threatening to fall down her cheeks, blurring her vision. She got to her feet clumsily and walked towards the sorcerer, stumbling more than once in her way "Let him go, Otsuki!"

His response was to release a blast of sharp, blue crystals that sent her to the magical barrier, her body impacting against it.

Sen Otsuki clapped twice, Uso released Kouji before vanishing and the barrier faded away. He advanced slowly towards Sayuri, his footsteps resounding softly against the ground, and in the least expected moment, he drew a dagger from his left sleeve.

"No! You can't do that! Aki doesn't want you to kill more people!" cried Kouji, he crawled towards Sayuri while clutching his ribs.

"Everything will end once I kill Sayuri Miyahara! I'll be with Aki!" yelled Sen Otsuki. He walked faster, the dagger still in his hand, preparing to strike in any moment.

"But you won't be with her! How could an angel love a demon? How?" spat Kouji.

The sorcerer turned to see him, fire in his eyes "I'm not a demon! I'm a mere man who wants to be with his beloved!", he glanced Sayuri, "When she died, I was left alone! One by one, my allies formed their own families and they returned to their villages……then, I decided to continue traveling without Satoshi……he was the one who let my Aki die at Tsubasa's hands……if he had told me…..if he had……."

"He tried!" cried Sayuri, wiping away the blood from the cuts that were in her arms "He wanted to tell you but Aki kept him from doing so! Why can't you believe me?"

"Why would she do that?" snapped Otsuki angrily, his gaze still on her "We wanted to marry, have children, have a happy life! Why would she do that? Why would she trust more in him than in me?"

"Because she didn't want to play with fate! She didn't want to intervene or to play with it!" snapped back Kouji.

Sen Otsuki snorted "Fool! There's no thing like that! Fate is nothing but nonsense spouted by the weak! Fate and destiny are things you create!"

Sayuri watched in horror as the sorcerer drew nearer to her, she turned her back to him and began crawling away but something hit her back. She looked up and stare into the sorcerer's lifeless eyes, eyes that now held a spark of anxiety. Sen Otsuki lifted her by the neck, Sayuri struggled and kicked uselessly as she watched his dagger approaching her stomach. 

Kouji widened his eyes, getting to his feet clumsily, briskly, taking his katana. 

"It'll be fast……" whispered the sorcerer "Goodbye, Sayuri Miyahara"

He tightened his grip in the dagger and with a swift movement, he thrust it into Sayuri's stomach. Blood sprang out from her stomach, her eyes widening in shock and pain.

"No!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Otsuki turned to see the furious but scared teenager running towards him with his katana. The sorcerer took out his dagger from Sayuri's body and glanced him understandingly. He laid her on the ground and watched as Kouji rushed to kneel beside her and hold her.

"Sayuri! Sayuri! Please, tell me something!" he pleaded. 

Sayuri moved her hand "I'm still alive, Kouji……but I…..I think that I won't…..share another April 15 with you"

The lonewolf shook his head, tears were beginning to form in his sapphire eyes "You'll live! I'm sure you will! I promise you!"

Sayuri chuckled weakly "I wish you….could fulfill that promise but you won't and you know it…..it doesn't matter….I don't blame you……but before I leave….I want to tell you why I love you"

Tears streamed down Kouji's cheeks.

Sayuri winced but she ended up giving him a lopsided grin "I love your sapphire eyes, I loved them since that day……since the day I met you……but I soon also fell in love you not only because you're strong……smart……courageous……gentle……cute……handsome…...", she took a deep breath, "but because you were also the boy who saw through my soul…..who taught me the meanings of love and friendship…….who taught me to trust in people and who taught me that even in the darkest hours there can be light…..you are my light and my……hope"

Kouji wiped away his tears and gently shook her "Don't worry. You'll live, I promise"

_If there was just one, _

_and no more than one_

_wish that came true,_

_I wonder what I would wish for..._

The dark sleep was slowly creeping into Sayuri Miyahara's soul. Her face was becoming paler by each second while her body was getting colder…….Nevertheless, she spoke softly.

"You know, my life has been a dream and yet…..it has also been a nightmare…..for the craziest things have happened………but there are so many beautiful things that have happened…….like the moment when you told me why you loved me……."

_With you, so near at my side;_

_But now, you're no longer here..._

_With you, although we're apart,_

_That won't change, in spite of the promise I made_

"Sen Otsuki is a lonely person, Kouji. I feel pity towards him but I'm also grateful because if he hadn't cursed my family…….I probably wouldn't have met you……"

_In the times to come,_

_I will also not be there,_

_I've finally come to realize_

_it means just that_

"I think…..he was another toy of fate…….just like you and me……I hope that he could see Aki, so I won't die in vain"

_For one thing, we're thinking of you _

_Because our wish for your warmth to be near has yet to come true _

_A pained sigh suddenly escapes _

_I hope to fly away and reach you in that far-off place._

"I can understand his feelings……he only wants to be with the one he loves forever……just like me…..I'd like to be forever with you……because I know that you'd always be there for me……even if you had to risk your life like you've done several times……or get through one thousand obstacles……you'd be there for me……."

_For me, I'd lost my way,_

_you took my hand in yours_

_For me, in a smile, you_ _gave me reason _

_to stand tall when I was confused_

"I will never ever forget all we lived together…..and I'll be watching you from heaven……and praying for you……so you won't be alone……and so my feelings for you never die……."

_For one thing, we'll be saying goodbye _

_That I want to be near you, is what I'd whisper _

_But I can't voice these helpless feelings _

_So hopefully at least this prayer will reach you_

_These unending feelings can pierce the sky _

_Sometime when you're walking all alone_

"Don't speak about death, Sayuri. You won't die yet! You can't leave me after I told you that I love you! This is a spring night! Just like in that old story! I won't forget what that man told his girlfriend: _As long as your heart can remember this melody, we'll always be together. Don't lose hope, I'll always be with you……_so don't lose hope yet! Remember that melody! Remember it! Remember it because I'm listening to that song!"

_And so for that day when the cherry blossoms fly _

_And the light of my feelings is reflected _

_A pained sigh becomes all too clear _

_I hope all these feelings fly out and reach you_

"I shall not forget anything! Did you hear me? Anything! I'll always be thinking in you! Always! I'll always be by your side! Even if I have to defy death! Even if I have to defy time! I'll be with you in death or life!"

_By the way, I'm thinking of you _

_Because my wish for your warmth to be near has yet to come true _

_Because I'm saying farewell for tomorrow's sake _

_And fly away to reach you in that far-off place_

"I'd……I'd do whatever so the cursed one were me. I want so badly to be the cursed one so you won't die……I want your curse to be put on me……Sen Otsuki or whoever, put the curse on me……..I want to take her place" whispered Kouji. 

Sayuri smiled and caressed his cheek "That's impossible……but……before I leave……kiss me……I want a last kiss……"

Kouji shook his head, tears falling again down his cheeks "You won't leave. I promised"

The small lily smiled "Kiss me"

The lonewolf bent and gently brushed his lips against hers, waiting patiently for them to respond but they never did. More tears fell down his cheeks, that kiss…..it was a last kiss……

_'Why did you ask me for it?……..For a kiss that will never be returned……'_

"That's not true" said a gentle voice. 

Kouji looked up.

Aki Sakamoto had just appeared before him, holding her scepter and for the first time, he saw her eyes. Sapphire blue, just like his. 

"You broke the curse" she said.

"You're wrong" replied Sen Otsuki softly, shaking his head "He only commented that he'd take her place but he never offered his life"

Kouji widened his eyes "Well, I offer my life now! I offer it!"

Sen Otsuki glanced him sadly, then, sighed "She's dead, can't you see?"

"Hope, like love, transcends all time. It is the song inside your heart that never stops singing" said Aki, glancing the teenager "Magic exists, Kouji Minamoto. Don't lose hope"

The lonewolf began listening to the music box's melody…….it was so strange to listen to it in the middle of that dimension and yet…….it was normal…….It was, indeed, a sweet melody……

"I want you to put the curse on me, I'll take the Miyahara curse" 

The sorcerer shook his head "But she's dead and if she weren't, you'd die"

"I want to" replied Kouji.

The sorcerer raised his scepter and closed his eyes "It's done. Kiss her"

The lonewolf bent again and kissed his beloved one gently, ignoring the fact that his whole body ached, ignoring the fact that her lips were cold, ignoring the fact that he could be kissing a corpse……Slowly, the kiss was returned and with it, the hope of a sapphire-eyed boy. He slowly opened his sapphire eyes and met a pair of hazel orbs glancing back.

For it was a love that transcended both worlds of life and death……..for it was a love that was never made to die……

"Now, it's my turn to leave, Sen" said Aki, who was hugging the sorcerer "I wish I could be with you but…….."

Sen Otsuki nodded understandingly "Maybe, in other life……we could have been together………"

Aki Sakamoto glanced the teenagers, who were hugging "I wish you happiness"

Sayuri glanced her sadly "Why can't you be with Sen Otsuki?"

The sorcerer looked at her with incredulity "After all I've done…..you…..could you forgive me?"

Sayuri nodded "Well, I can understand that feeling of loneliness and if I had been in your place……I could've acted the same way…….well….maybe not the same way but……I can still understand how you feel"

Sen Otsuki bowed "Thank you. I beg your pardon. As soon as Aki came here, she let me see her memories and I found out that you didn't lie about Satoshi"

Kouji hugged Sayuri tighter "I'm now cursed but I don't want her to come because-"

"You're not cursed. Between life and death you chose but your choice isn't what it seems…….you won't die" said Sen Otsuki "That was the way to break her curse and as you might have figured out, Aki's blood runs in your veins because her sister's son is your great-great……well……I don't know how many greats…..grandfather from your mother's family……..The curse was breakable only if a Miyahara and a Sakamoto fell in love, and then, that Sakamoto would ask me to put the curse on him/her heartily, without any doubt or regret…..so the other path that Sayuri could've taken was to love Kouichi but she chose to love you…… "

"Yes, she did" said Kouji.

"It was nice to meet you, Kouji. I thought that my nephew had been murdered along with my sister and her husband but I was wrong" said Aki softly, she sighed "I'm really glad that I was wrong"

"I guess that fate really does exist. I've been watching you two and your other relatives, your lives have changed since you two met" said Sen Otsuki.

"Sayuri Miyahara, descendant of Satoshi Miyahara, do you really mean what you said? Would you forgive Sen Otsuki heartily?" asked Aki.

Sayuri glanced Kouji and nodded. Even if the sorcerer had made her suffer for so long, she had just returned from death to hate someone. Sen Otsuki was in some way, a victim of reality, that in an impulse of fury and pain, condemned himself to darkness and loneliness  "Yes, I forgive him. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have met this lonewolf"

Aki smiled and raised her scepter. Sen Otsuki became the handsome man he was in the past. Both sorcerers smiled and hugged tightly, then, glanced the teenagers.

"We owe you our new life………if you hadn't forgiven him, he'd stay here for the eternity" said Aki, she grinned "But now, we'll be together forever…..how it should have always been"

It was true. They couldn't be together in life but they could be together in death, in a peaceful place, where their friends and families were waiting for them, in a place where nothing would tear them apart again.

"Thank you, Sayuri Miyahara and Kouji Minamoto" said Sen Otsuki "Thank you for giving me a new chance and as soon as you return to your world, you'll see a spectacle waiting for you. Just like Aki summoned those breezes, I'll summon something else"

"As I told you once, Kouji Minamoto, you were the once who brought light to this realm and who brought Hope to all of us, including Sayuri" said Aki, she smiled "Thank you"

The dimension shone brightly, just as it faded away with Sen Otsuki and Aki Sakamoto, a sorcerer and a seer that were about to begin a new life in heaven.

Kouji Minamoto and Sayuri Miyahara appeared under the sacred tree. Everything was just like before they went to the realm: clean clothes without tears or dirt, no bruises or cuts in their bodies. 

Cherry blossoms fell softly over them while pink petals danced with the wind, flying towards the full moon. A sweet melody playing on that spring night. Suddenly, several shooting stars crossed the night sky, shining brightly and the spectacle continued………

"Let's make a wish" said Sayuri.

Kouji nodded and grinned "I want to be with you forever"

It was Sayuri's time to nod "Yeah……together forever……."

A shooting star shone brightly as they finished their wish. It exploded in the sky and stardust fell over them and the whole shrine, bathing them along with the moonlight.

And then, they began dancing at the beat of the melody, dancing along with the cherry blossoms that flew to the blue moon, dancing before their lips met once again on that magical spring night.

_                                                        You were all I wanted, you were all I dreamed of_

_                                                     No matter what, I promise I'll always be by your side_

_                                                    'Cause I want to be in your arms forever just like now,_

_                                                               so I can learn what dreams really mean,_

_                                                         so I can remember why there's magic in a kiss,_

_                                                       so I can fly to the sky in a magical dance with you, _

_                                                                      Let's stay like this forever. . . . . ._

_                                                                                         Yeah. . ._

_                                                                                         Forever_


	24. Thank you for R&R!

Hi! Like I promised, this is the THANK YOU chapter. I wanted to thank all of you for R&R my story, for letting me know that you liked it. Now, you'll find below my Thank you to each of you, **_in order of the date_** of your first review. 

Note: I forgot to mention that the phrase _Hope, like love, transcends all time. It is the song inside your heart that never stops singing_ belongs to Flavia Weedn, I read it on a diary thingy of a store and liked it a lot. Sorry for not mentioning it sooner.

THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was really happy when I checked my profile page and found out that I got more than 150 reviews!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks a lot, really!!! This story is my pride. I'm going to miss it but I'll never forget it because it's really important for me. It was like my challenge………

THANK YOU……

=P

**Evil One1**: Hi once again. Like I said before, I had the honor that you were my first reviewer and you are definitely one of my favorites reviewers. You continued reading all the story even if I misunderstood you more than once due to my English. I still remember that your birthday is in June so if I can't remember it well, happy birthday one month in advance and if I remember, I'll send you a birthday card. Well, thanks a lot for enjoying this story and I'm glad that you liked it so much. Thanks for your replies when I asked about grammar and I'm happy that you liked all the fluffy stuff. Thanks for all the compliments and for being my first reviewer, I hope you read other stories about the Kou twins that I'll write…….=P Anyways, I need time and imagination to finish my other story at fiction press or people will kill me =P 

Hehe. I remember somehow your review in chapter 20, the one with the first real kiss. Well, I think I made you dream with a sweet first kiss…….if you hadn't kissed someone yet or vice versa, I hope it is with someone you really like and that that boy likes you back. Good luck with your story and I hope you update soon. Thanks for understanding me and standing me. =P I'm weird, even if some kind people say that I'm not. About that last chapter, you know that I like suspense and I wanted a fluffy ending. Hehe. I also wanted to write an alternate ending, a sad one but…..I wasn't very sure of how I would've ended the story. Anyways, I liked the last nine lines…..Well, I think that's all… THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!!! I'll miss you! See you soon! =D

**Kara**: Hi once again. You're the second person who reviewed. I received many compliments from you like the ones from chapter 4. It's a shame that you couldn't keep reviewing all the chapters because I would've liked to know your opinion but I understand, I've also been busy this year. Anyways, you made me happy more than once with your reviews so thank you. =P I appreciate it and I wish you good luck with your Takari fanfic. Well, I really don't know what more to say but I do appreciate that you continued R&R my story and letting me know that you liked it. You also made me think about my future career, I'd love to choose something that involves writing but the future is the future and I might not be very talented as I should be. sniff I'm also gonna miss this story and you became of my favorite reviewers. By the way, what's a plushie? =P I'm sorry to disappointed but I won't write an epilogue, I don't know how I could write one. Well, good luck! THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!!! See you soon! =D

**Kana**: Hi once again. My third reviewer, like Kara, you began reviewing my story but I guess you were busy, I understand that. Anyways, I am glad that you kept reading this story……it's nice. =P And that you liked my phrases and even criticized Yi Jie and even if sometimes you wrote short reviews, I could see that you were interested in my story. It was good to know that I got a person that's not an author as a reviewer in my first chapters. It was nice. So, well, I hope you read my future stories. Well, I think that's all, I wish you good luck. I'm sorry for disappointing you but I don't think that I'll write a sequel, but I'll write more stories. THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!!! See you soon! =D

**Anime-lover10**: Hi if you continued reading this. You reviewed once so I don't know if you kept reading or if you disliked my story. Anyways, thanks for reviewing that time, I hope that you finish reading this and review. See you! =D

**Fan ()**: Hi if you continued reading this. You also reviewed once and it might have been because of my reply. Maybe, I was a bit rude when I said that I wouldn't finish it soon, I have only written 6 chapters then. Anyways, I'm glad you reviewed. Well, see you! =D

**TrueMallowan()**: Hi. You also reviewed once. Well, thanks again for the compliments and it's a shame that you didn't continue reading. See you! =D

**Misaki**: Hi once more. You're one my favorites reviewers, it'd be fun to chat on MSN, you know. Hehe. Let's say that you reminded a lot of my best friend, when I began writing this story, she had already moved. I miss her but we can chat sometimes. Anyways, back to you, I felt identified with many things about you. The glares…..sugar….long replies…..the hyper things……kittens……so many things…..it was funny to discover that there are people who are like me. =P I wonder if you could tell me at least in which month you were born to send you a card (hopefully of kittens and sugar)……You were right in many things and the melody, you mentioned it once, I think. Everything had to do, I think.  Oh yeah, I like a lot your phrase about Patience. Would you mind if I use it maybe a lot of times in my next stories? I'll give you that credit. 

Well, Sayuri will be an archer in my next story, just to let you know and my new character will be for Kouichi. Of course I must change a bit of personality from Sayuri and Jiang Li, they're probably the only characters from this story that will appear and maybe, Sayuri's grandpa. Well, thanks a lot for liking this story so much and for suggesting me the barrier thing. Hehe. =P I hope you read my next stories but first, I'll try to update my story in fiction press. I haven't updated it since last year….Again, thanks for all, it was a honor to know that there was someone like you reading my story. Oh, yeah. You broke my heart with critics but--- It's a joke! I'm glad you pointed out that so I can improve. You know, I want to improve my grammar and punctuation. Besides, I sometimes act like a grammar freak too. (Only in my language, I'm good at spelling and all that stuff) Well, I'm really happy to know that you loved last chapter.  sniff I will miss you but I might e-mail you! Wanna know something? You wrote the review # 151!!! THANK YOU A LOT FOR ALL YOU DID!!! I'll miss you! See you soon! =D

**I Am A Sly Slytherin**: Hi if you read this. =P You continued reading until chapter 13 but I'm still grateful with you. You also complimented me and I missed your reviews. Maybe, you couldn't keep reading or you just disliked the story after chapter 14. I don't know and I might never know. Anyways, thanks a lot! THANK YOU FOR READING! See you! =D

**Elven Sword**: Hi. Well, I don't remember you a lot. I only remember that you e-mailed me and yup, you bombarded me with questions. Anyways, thanks a lot for reviewing and I hope that you find what you're looking for. Good luck! See you! =D

**LonelyWindFairy**: Hi once again. Well, I'm glad that you began reading my story even if it wasn't a Kouzumi so thanks a lot. It's good to know that there are people like you. Hehe. We both like Kouji-kun, he's cute!!! =P By the way, thanks also for recommending it to Izumi-Star, she also kept reading and I hope that read this soon. I know that you might be busy but I really hope you read this chapter, just to let you know. Well, I think that's all for now. THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!!! See you soon! =D

**Wand3ringspirit**: Hi. You only reviewed once but I think it was because you thought that Kouji-kun was acting OCC, I thought that too. That's why I'll be writing another story and try to keep that in mind. Thanks for reviewing. See you soon! =D

**Izumi-Star**: Hi once more. Yup. You're definitely of my favorite reviewers, you tried to keep reading all the chapters since you began reading my story. I appreciate it a lot and I'm glad that we share many opinions about cute boys……You know, I'd start the list but I'd never end. Hopefully, I'll finish what I left in fiction press but I'll need patience & inspiration…I'm a bit irresponsible =P Anyways, I'm glad that you decided to read this when LonelyWindFairy told you about my story or we wouldn't 'know' about each other, it's a honor. Well, thanks for all the compliments and praises, I really liked them. I did my best, I think. By the way, do you really think I should make it into a book? Wow…...sniff that's one of the best and most touching praises I've ever got. I'm really, really happy that you love my story. I'll write more stories, I will! And I'm glad that you liked that last chapter, I wanted fluffiness and I wrote what I had been imagining since I got the idea……I'm so gonna miss you! THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!!! See you soon! =D

**Eng-Lang**: Hi. You also reviewed once but I was really curious about your nick and your mail. I wish you could reply, I'm a very curious teenager. Thanks for reviewing! See you! =D

**Blue Savage**: Hi once more. Hehe. Another of my favorite reviewers. Well, thanks a lot for the compliments and for reading my story, I could see that you really liked it. You even suggested me to lessen the Kouichi & Yi Jie's moments but I had to disappoint you, sorry. I'm just a Kouichi's fan like many other girls. =P Anyways, it felt good when you wrote the fan thing. I wish you good luck with your story! I'm going to miss you! THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!!! See you soon! =D

**OmnicromXR**: Hi once more. I must tell you, you became of my favorite reviewers. Like I told you before, I really like the way you write reviews, how you use the words to criticize. The series of traps were bizarre like you once said but only one of them backfired. It was really unrealistic but I really wanted to update and my brain wasn't working after falling ill so many times……and yup. It was really, really mushy but it was the last chapter. I couldn't even enjoy my holidays! sniff=P 

Well, you could consider being a critic or something like that, at least for stories. And I could consider studying something that involves Literature but I'm not sure, I must think in that soon because I'd need to improve. I could merely write as a hobby, you know. By the way, I'm sorry if I was rude at the beginning but I don't take very well certain critics since……well, since my first story. I erased it because I also didn't like it but to know that someone else completely disliked it, that hurt. Anyways, I wish you good luck and I'll try to improve, to think in my characters' personalities and the psychological stuff, to be more realistic. If I improve and if you ever read one of my stories at FF net, I hope you review again. Why? Why would I want the opinion of a stranger? The answer is simple, you're not forced to tell me that you like it and you won't probably tell me that it's garbage if it's not, you'll probably be sincere and since you're good at criticism……I might find your help useful. I like honest people, that's why I feel honored to know that someone like you liked my story. It is great to know that a great critic like you consider my story above many others, it really is. And it is also great to be called Kasumi-san, it's nice. Thanks for the praises and applauses, thanks a lot. Well, I hope you enjoyed my story. I'm going to miss you! THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!!! See you soon! =D

**Darkened Loner**: Hi once more. I think you're busy because you didn't review in some chapters. Anyways, I admire your poetry, I really do. I never thought that someone with such a great talent would like my story so much, it is a honor. Thanks a lot for all the compliments, I liked them a lot. I want to improve my English so I can improve my writing, and then, write a great story with romance, humor, angst, drama, suspense, mystery……..That's what I'd like to do. I might write something in Spanish but I'm so used to write in English that I'm not sure. =P By the way, now that I have more time, I might read some of your other poems. Well, I guess I'll read a bit later to relax. THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!!! See you soon! =D

**Digifan34**: Hi once more. Well, I could say many things. One of them is that even if you began reviewing since chapter 19, I could see that you really enjoyed my story. You like cuteness, just like many people. Yup. The twins are perfect!!!!!!! They're so cute and handsome, and kind, and sweet…….that's all before I can't control myself. =P Thanks a lot for all the compliments, I always tried to do a good job while writing, to use details, to be descriptive. I like reading things like that so I try to judge myself but due to my lacks of knowledge of English, I have to conform sometimes. Ah…..it was nice to know that there's people who really liked my fanfic. Sometimes when I had bad days and if I had the chance to get online and check my profile's page and read my reviews, then, find some like yours, I would cheer up, knowing that I may have talent for certain things. I hope you read other stories that I'll write in the future. I'll miss you! THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!!! See you soon! =D

**Bellmandy**: Hi. You were also of the people who reviewed only once but thanks a lot anyways. You probably forgot this story or maybe, you ended up disliking it. I don't know. Well, thanks anyways. See you! =D

**Tiyamoto Girl**: Hi, this time as an authoress. Yup! I'll write as much as I can. I'll have exams soon and then, more exams. My school is affiliated to I don't know what kind of thing, that's why I'll have so many exams but I won't stop writing in my free time. Writing is my passion, it really is. Well, thanks for liking my story so much and for the compliments. I hope you read my future stories. I'll try to remember to e-mail you because right now, I'm quite busy. THANKS A LOT!!! See you soon! =D 

**Sacred Phoenix**: Hi once again. Yup. I've always loved suspense. I share your opinion, it could've been ending if Sayuri died but it would've been sad……not that I don't like that kind of stories, I also like them. But since it was a story that many people liked and that I love because it made me so happy, I gave it a happy ending. If it had been a tragedy, it would've been something fluffier. sniff I'm glad that you read this story and it was a pleasure to write this. I might not write a sequel because I'd have to think in so many things but I'll definitely write more stories, like other two or maybe three. This girl (me) thanks all your praises heartily, I really hope you'll read my future stories. I'll miss you! THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!!! See you soon! =D

**Kouji's fan**: Hi again. Well, thanks a lot for reviewing. I was really glad that someone liked my story so much that recommended it to other people. Suspense and cliffhangers…….I love them! I really do! I'm happy!!! I've got so many positive critics about this story, like yours! Gee……thanks a lot. Please, wait for my next stories. I will post them as soon as I get all the ideas for the plot. I've already got many things in mind but I've got tons of homework. Anyways, I hope you read my next stories. THANKS A LOT!!! See you soon! =D

**Erin-san**: Hi once more. I'm really glad that you decided to begin reading this story. I could see that you really liked it, didn't you? I will write more stories, if I get a lot of ideas, I might write one that practically only includes Kouichi, he's such a cute boy!!! starry eyes Kouichi…….long sigh He's so kawaii!!! Thanks for telling your little sister about my story, I like to get reviews! =P Well, I think that's all and I hope I don't disappoint you. THANKS A LOT!!! See you soon! =D

**Elisabeth**: Hi again. I think I was very lucky for having you as reviewer. I'm glad that you finished reading my story, it means that I have some talent for this thing. Gee……I'll try to get inspiration as soon as possible. I am thinking in a Kouichi fanfic with some humor. =P Please, wait for that one, if I write it, of course. I want to do a good job. I don't want to disappoint anyone. THANKS A LOT!!! See you soon!!!=D

**Michelle**: Hi again. I'm really happy that you and your friends liked my story so much. This story is my pride, it has my dreams in some way, I wrote a story that people liked so much. sniff A dream came true……at least for me, so thank you. I hope you read my future stories, they'll have the twins in them! =P Please, wait for them! THANKS A LOT!!! See you soon! =D

**?????**: Hi. Thanks for R&R. Gee…..thanks for the compliments. It was indeed sad but it had a happy ending. Thanks for loving it. I hope you read my next stories. See you! =D

**Kat**: Hi. Thanks for R&R. I think you're not done reading the story but I think you'll like the ending. I'll write a longer reply when you finish reading it. See you! =D

**Sandyll-1990**: Hi, there. Thanks for R&R. Gee…..thanks a lot for saying that I am a born writer, that means a lot for me. =P Anyways, I'm sorry to disappoint you but I might not write a sequel. I will write more stories, though. See you! =D

=P

**_I think that's all. If I miss someone, please e-mail me. This was updated on May 9 but I may update it again. _**

**_THANKS A LOT AND I HOPE THAT IF I GET INSPIRED, YOU READ MY NEXT FICS._**

**_SEE YOU AND GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!! I'M GONNA MISS YOU!_**

****

**_Li Kasumi_**


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